The alarming rate of COVID-19 cases in India is keeping the government and other departments on toes. Now, Indian railways has converted 960 railway coaches into isolation wards across five states: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. It has been done in an attempt to augment health facilities in the country.
Out of this, 503 COVID care coaches have been deployed in Delhi, 20 in Andhra Pradesh, 60 in Telangana, 372 in Uttar Pradesh and 5 in Madhya Pradesh.
Also read: Odisha To Open India’s Largest COVID-19 Isolation Facility
960 Railway Coaches Converted Into COVID Care Wards In 5 States
On June 14, 2020, Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised 500 railway coaches for Delhi with a capacity of 8,000 beds to treat COVID-19 patients. The government also plans to use stadiums, hotels and banquet halls as makeshift hospitals in Delhi.
503 Coaches Deployed At These Locations In Delhi
503 coaches are deployed at nine locations in Delhi: 50 at Shakur Basti, 267 at Anand Vihar, 21 at Safdarjung, 50 at Sarai Rohilla, 33 at Delhi Cantt., 30 at Adarsh Nagar, 13 at Shahdara, 13 at Tughlakabad and 26 at Patel Nagar, an official statement by Indian Railways said. On that note, Delhi To Have World’s Largest COVID-19 Facility soon.
The statement also emphasized that the isolation coaches will be under the care of the chief medical officers of the concerned states. It will deploy doctors and paramedics for them as per the Union health ministry’s procedures.
It further added that the railways will deploy two liaison officers for each location to assist the state governments.
These isolation coaches can be used for patients with mild symptoms that can be clinically assigned to the COVID Care centers as per guidelines issued by MoHFW. Moreover, the coaches can also be used in areas where the state has exhausted the facilities.
Also read: Indian Railways Cancels All Bookings Till 30th June
About Other States
- In Uttar Pradesh, 372 coaches have been deployed at 23 different locations: Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn., Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Mirzapur, Subedarganj, Kanpur, Jhansi, Jhansi Workshop, Agra, Nakha Jungle, Gonda, Nautanwa, Bahraich, Varanasi City, Manduadih, Mau, Bhatni, Bareilly City, Farrukhabad and Kasganj
- 5 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh
- 20 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh
- 60 COVID Care coaches are deployed at 3 different locations in Telangana
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), these state governments have sent the requisition to Indian Railways. And Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.
In the last three months, Indian Railways is on a war footing to modify train coaches into patient isolation wards to bolster the country’s limited healthcare infrastructure.