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Railways plans to deploy 40 coaches for Covid care in Punjab
Each coach will have 16 beds equipped with basic amenities that a patient would require — handheld showers, mosquito nets, toilets, power sockets, oxygen cylinders and more
Under an emergency plan, the Northern Railways has proposed to depute at least 40 coaches for Covid care at four different locations in Punjab.
Each coach will have 16 beds equipped with basic amenities that a patient would require — handheld showers, mosquito nets, toilets, power sockets, oxygen cylinders and more.
Sources said the number of Covid coaches may be enhanced as per medical requirements.
The health ministry has a standard operating procedure (SOP) for deploying such coaches.
“The coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the Covid care centres as per guidelines issued by the health ministry,” said Ambala divisional railway manager (DRM) GM Singh.
Sources said the state public works department (PWD) had approached the railways on Friday about a plan to strengthen medical infrastructure amid a sharp surge in Covid-19 cases.
Officials said the PWD wanted mobile care facilities at Bathinda, Ludhiana, Patiala, SAS Nagar, Amritsar and Jalandhar.
Railway authorities said no coach converted for Covid patients was used last year in Punjab.
As the infection rate is grim in the second wave, intensive plans are being worked out to house the patients with Covid symptoms, say officials.
However, the railway authorities stated that the deployment of special coaches is not possible at Ambala and Patiala.
“We do not have facilities of electric charging and water for maintaining regular hygiene of these coaches at Patiala and Ambala stations,” said the DRM.
Balbir Singh, additional DRM (infrastructure) of Ferozepur, said ten coaches are readily available for utilisation to house the sick patients.
“Punjab authorities have been apprised of our preparedness. Railways would need 24-96 hours to upgrade and provide at the required place,” he added.
President of Association of Physicians of India (Malwa branch), Dr Vitull K Gupta said such coaches should be parked away from the railway stations.
“Since the movement of trains is still on in the region, passengers should be kept away from the isolation wards to avoid virus contraction. We have written to the central authorities to ensure such couches are kept away from platforms,” said Gupta, a public health activist and physician from Bathinda.
