The Indian Railways has made available a fleet of more than 4400 Isolation Coaches with around 70,000 beds to serve as isolation units
Bengaluru: At a time when India wages a war against the second wave of coronavirus, the Indian Railways is doing its best to ensure a lending hand.
Its members are taking rapid action to swiftly move Isolation Coaches to places of demand (made by respective states) mobilising workforce and material for this task.
A statement by the ministry states that it has made available a fleet of more than 4400 Isolation Coaches with around 70,000 beds to serve as Isolation Units.
In the latest update, with latest demands from the State of Assam, Railway has swiftly moved 21 isolation coaches to Guwahati and 20 Isolation Coaches to Badarpur near Silchar in Assam (NF Railway). Earlier in the week, Isolation Coaches were deployed at Sabarmati, Chandlodiya and Dimapur respectively.
Accordingly, as per States’ demand, at present 298 coaches have been handed over to various states for Covid care with a bed-capacity of more than 4700 beds. The latest demand came from the State Govt of Gujarat, wherein the Railways have deployed 10 coaches for Sabarmati and 6 coaches for Chandoliya. Alongside, in terms of the demand by the State Govt of Nagaland Isolation Coaches, the Railway worked has positioned 10 Isolation coaches at Dimapur.5 Isolation Coaches having 70 bed capacity with one coach for medical personnel were deployed for Jabalpur and are now functional. 21 Coaches are now made functional for the medical exigencies at Palghar by the Railways in terms of Terms of Agreement with District Authorities. 2 sets of Oxygen Cylinders are also provided in these coaches to meet any exigency by the State Health Authorities in many places.
Last year, when India had announced a nationwide lockdown, the Railways had announced that it would convert coaches into isolation centres. Now, these coaches are effectively managing the crisis.
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