Maligaon, April 01: In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Indian Railways took the unprecedented decision of suspending all its passenger train operations w.e.f. 22.03.2020. Indian Railways which even continued its services during war times, has taken such a step for the first time in its history for safety of all fellow citizen.
However goods and parcel train services is being carried out 24/7 to ensure an uninterrupted and seamless supply chain of goods and essential commodities including POL in the wake of COVID-19 to people at every corner of India as per their requirement.
Indian Railways is now making an all out effort to supplement the health care efforts of Government of India. The spectrum of steps include modification of passenger coaches as isolation coaches, equipping the existing Railway Hospitals to meet the COVID-19 needs, earmarking of hospital beds to meet the contingencies, recruitment of additional doctors & paramedics etc. and providing food to needy people free of cost.
The availability of certified medical practitioners is of immense importance in the present scenario. Accordingly, Railways has decided to engage Doctors and Para-medical staff from open market at all Hospitals for a period of three months as per local requirement in order to effectively contain this pandemic.
This engagement will be over and above the present existing vacancies which are in various stages of filling up. NFR has already notified the vacancies through various print & social media. Moreover, railway is also re-employing retired railway doctors.
Northeast Frontier Railway will be modifying 315 coaches by equipping them with basic facilities needed for isolation as per medical guidelines for placement in various locations. All these coaches will be made within next 7(seven) days on war footing in various workshops and depots located in various divisions of NFR.
Twenty coaches each will be modified at Katihar and New Jalpaiguri under Katihar division. twenty five coaches will be modified at Alipurduar Jn under Alipurduar division. thirty coaches will be modified at Dibrugarh under Tinsukia division. Ten coaches at Agartala, thirty coaches at Silchar, fifty coaches each at Guwahati and Kamakhya will be modified under Lumding division.
Fifty coaches will be modified at New Bongaigaon Railway Workshop while 30(thirty) coaches will be modified at Dibrugarh Railway Workshop. Indian Railway has decided convert 5000 coaches as Isolation coach at present. If needed, more coaches can be modified.
All these coaches are going to be equipped with mosquito nets, charging points for mobiles & laptop, space for paramedics & medical equipments etc. These facilities will be made available as mandated by the Government of India to those in need.
Moreover humanitarian efforts of railways are also continuing at various locations in NFR. Yesterday, Katihar Base Kitchen of IRCTC in NFR provided 500 meals to needy people which were distributed by RPF with the help of NGO. At New Guwahati IRCTC provided about 300 meals for distribution.
The RPF with the help of various NGOs also provided more than 2000 meals at places like New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Samsi, Manihari, Alipurduar, New Coochbehar, New Bongaigaon, Azara, Kamakhya, Guwahati, New Guwahati, Silchar, New Tinsukia and Dibrugarh station areas. While delivering the food to needy persons, social distancing and hygiene is being strictly observed.
