Maligaon, June 12: Sustaining the fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways is making an all-out effort to supplement the health care efforts of the 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 facilities.
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 the State has exhausted the facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspects and confirmed COVID cases. These facilities are part of the integrated COVID plan developed by MoHFW and NITI Aayog.
As per the guidelines of MoHFW, State Governments would send the requisition to Railways. Railways will make the allocation of these coaches to the State/UTs. 60 coaches have already been requisitioned in Telangana for Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad locations.10 coaches have been requisitioned in Delhi.
In the NFR area, 315 such coaches are ready for placement at 20(twenty) nominated stations, viz. Agartala, Alipurduar Jn, Ambasa, Badarpur, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Kamakhya, Katihar, Lumding, New Bongaigaon, New Cooch Behar, New Jalpaiguri, New Tinsukia, Rangapara North, Rangiya, Silchar, Mariani, Murkongselek, New Alipurduar and Siliguri stations as and when such requests are received.
Out of 215 stations identified all over India, Indian Railways will provide healthcare facilities in 85 stations. In other 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 only watering facility for these COVID Care Centers.
Apart from COVID care centers, Indian Railways will deploy more than 2500 Doctors and 35000 paramedic staff to meet the COVID 19 challenge. Doctors and paramedics are being recruited on a temporary basis by various zones. Around 5,000 beds in 17 dedicated hospitals and 33 hospital blocks in Railway Hospitals identified for treatment of COVID-19 patients are ready for any contingency.
