Railways gears up with 4,000 isolation coaches to tackle shortage of hospital beds

Amid growing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, Indian Railways has turned 4,002 coaches into COVID care coaches. In the national capital, Railways has deployed 50 COVID care coaches at Shakur Basti station and 25 coaches at Anand Vihar Railway station.

New Delhi: As a number of states are facing a major shortage of hospital beds amid the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases, Indian Railways readies its 4,002 coaches which have been converted into COVID care coaches. These coaches will be made available at the request of the state governments.

Recently, the Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal had announced that if required, the national transporter can provide over 3 lakh isolation beds across the nation.

In the national capital, Railways has deployed 50 COVID care coaches at Shakur Basti station and 25 coaches at Anand Vihar Railway station.

This comes after the Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev made an appeal to the Railway Board to provide COVID coaches and up to 5,000 isolation beds in the national capital amid the shortage of hospital beds.

These isolation coaches at Shakur Basti has a capacity of 800 beds with a facility of 2 oxygen cylinders in each coach.

The Railways has also provided AC Coaches for On Duty Medical and Para Medical staff.

CCTV with feed in the Control Room for security and monitoring of patients, a loudspeaker for announcements to Patients, Telephone and Wi-Fi connection at both the ends of the Covid Rakes etc has also been provided by Railways.

Meanwhile, the isolation coaches at Anand Vihar Railway station are ready for use by the state government with complete facilities.

These coaches are kept on a platform area so to reduce the temperature inside coaches, covering of jute so that sprinkling of water can be done on these coaches.

While in Maharashtra, Railways has placed 21 COVID care coaches at Nandurbar station. Till now, 20 patients have been moved to these coaches and more people are likely to be accommodated in a few days.

The Ahmedabad division of Western Railways is also ready with its 60 coaches that were being refurbished as COVID care facilities last year. Southern Railways has also prepared its 299 COVID coaches to accommodate in various states.

Last year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the deployment of COVID Care Coaches, under which Railways would be responsible for the provision of all the items as prescribed by the MoHFW for the COVID care Centers, including arrangements for oxygen cylinders in each coach and other necessary items such as including linen etc.

Following the SOPs, Railways has also provided proper signages shall outside railway stations, platforms and near the location of coaches to guide authorities and patients to the coaches in a way that they are separate from the general public using the railway facilities.