Covid-19: Railway employees above 55 asked to avoid field duties, take precautionary measures in Ludhiana

Advisory issued after 51-year-old senior railway official died of coronavirus at the CMCH on Tuesday afternoon

After a 51-year-old senior railway official of the northern railway division died of coronavirus at the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) here on Tuesday afternoon, the railway station authorities here have asked employees above 55 to avoid field duties and asked them to take all precautionary measures to save themselves while on duty at the station.

Passengers getting screened at Ludhiana railway station on Wednesday. (GURPREET SINGH/HT)

The authorities said staffers have already been provided with masks, sanitisers and personal protection equipment (PPE) kits as per the requirement of duty.

A visit to the railway station at 2pm revealed that two employees have been deputed for thermal screening near the reservation booking counter and any passenger, with higher temperature, is not allowed to board the train.

Police have also been deployed at the foot overbridge so that the passengers, de-boarding trains at platforms 2 to 5 can be screened by officials of the health department before they move out of the station from the Civil Lines side. The authorities have also restricted the use of lifts and escalators at the station.

As many as nine pairs of trains are halting at the station daily.

Station director Tarun Kumar confirmed, “All the employees above 55 have been asked to avoid field duties and take all precautionary measures against coronavirus while on duty at the station. We will receive more PPE kits soon and these will be given to the ticket checking staff.”

Divisional railway manager (DRM), Ferozepur division, Rakesh Aggarwal, was not available for comments.