New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) In a major move to provide quality healthcare to millions of people, the railway ministry Friday said it will give over 1275 acres of unused land for the health ministry to build 490 health facilities, including medical colleges, around the country.

'This is a historic decision by both health and railway ministries to provide healthcare to masses,' Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here.

'This initiative will benefit railway passengers, railway employees and the common people living in and around railway lines. Nation's health is nation's wealth,' said Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Both ministries have identified plots to open 361 diagnostic centres, 88 second-level medical units with over 100-bed hospitals and 41 multi-specialty medical facilities around railway tracks.

While the diagnostic centres will come up in 200 square metre lands, the second level medical units will be set up on five acres land each. Similarly, the tertiary care hospitals will come up on 20 acre lands each.

'Encroachment on government lands is happening all over India and by sparing these unused lands, the railway ministry is helping masses in getting quality healthcare.

'Currently many people fall sick while traveling on trains and these facilities will provide them instant treatment at the railway stations,' Azad explained.

He said the health ministry will start working on the diagnostic centres first at major railway stations and junctions across the country.

'We are expecting to spend up to Rs.10 million for setting up diagnostic centres,' Health Secretary K. Sujatha Rao told IANS after signing the agreement with Railway Board Chairman S.S. Khurana.

Banerjee said the decision was taken after a month-long discussion with the health authorities, and urged both the ministries to speed up and provide quality healthcare to people living in grass roots.

These healthcare facilities could also be used as trauma centres for emergencies, accidents and natural disasters.

Both the ministries said that they are setting up a high power working group to work out a time bound programme to take up the projects as a matter of priority.

'We will also take the state governments into confidence while building these facilities. The aim is to provide better facilities to all Indians,' Azad said.