New Delhi: Sustaining the fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways is making an all out effort to supplement the health care efforts of Government of India. Indian Railways has geared up to provide its 5231 Covid Care Centers to the State. Zonal Railways has converted these coaches for quarantine facility. Trains with unit composition of 10 coaches, with patient capacity of 16 per coach have been made ready, stated a Ministry release.
As per guidelines of MoHFW, few State Governments have sent the requisition to Indian Railways. Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.
UP has finalised 24 stations for deployment. Telangana has asked for coaches to be stationed in 3 locations- Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad. 10 coaches have been requisitioned in Delhi.
The Coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the Covid Care centers as per guidelines issued by MoHFW. These coaches can be used in areas where State has exhausted the facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspect and confirmed Covid cases. These facilities are part of the integrated COVID plan developed by MoHFW and NITi Aayog.
Out of 215 stations, Railways to provide healthcare facilities in 85 stations, in 130 stations, States to request COVID care coaches only if they agree to provide staff and essential medicines. Indian Railways has kept 158 stations ready with watering and charging facility and 58 stations with watering facility for these COVID Care centers.