Railways fits emergency alarm systems in 50 Covid coaches

The Northern Railways has installed emergency alarm systems all its 50 railway coaches that have been turned into isolation wards at the Shakur Basti station washing shed.

The Northern Railways has installed emergency alarm systems all its 50 railway coaches that have been turned into isolation wards at the Shakur Basti station washing shed.

The health of one of the two Covid-19 positive patients shifted to isolation coaches stationed at Shakur Basti railway station washing shed deteriorated on Thursday after which he was moved to a nearby hospital, senior northern railways officials said. (ANI photo)

On Wednesday, the isolation coaches received two Covid-19 positive patients.

The health of one of the two Covid-19 positive patients shifted to isolation coaches stationed at Shakur Basti railway station washing shed deteriorated on Thursday after which he was moved to a nearby hospital, senior northern railways officials said.

Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in Pitampura is the primary hospital attached to the isolation coaches, as per the agreement between the state government and the railways ministry. However, it was not clear whether the patient was admitted there or to some other hospital.

A senior district administration official, who asked not to be named, said that he was not aware that where the patient was shifted or what illness he had . The official said that there is a team of army doctors and health department doctors and they take the call in such situations.

On being asked if the patient had pressed the emergency alarm bell installed in the coach to report about his health complications, a senior railway official, who wished not to be named said, “The patient was already under observation. This emergency alarm facility will come into use once all the coaches are filled with patients .”

On Thursday, four more Covid-19 positive patients were shifted to the isolation facility, taking the total number of patients in such isolation wards to six.

The emergency alarm system comprises an alarm bell, a display board — having a buzzer and a light against each coach number — and a big emergency red light with siren fitted outside each coach. The objective behind installing the alarm system is to provide immediate medical or any other attention to Covid-19 positive patients in case of an emergency, Northern Railways officials said.

Giving details about how the alarm system functions, Deepak Kumar, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway, said that the alarm bell has been installed in each coach occupied by patients. The display board, on the other hand, has been installed in the coach housing doctors and specialised medical staff.

“In case of an emergency, as soon as the patient presses the emergency call bell, a red light fitted outside the coach starts glowing along with a loud sound. This will also be simultaneously displayed on the display board installed inside the doctor’s coach, where the bulb against the coach number will light-up with an alarm sound. This will enable the caregivers to immediately rush to the particular coach to attend to the patient,” said Kumar.

Another railway official, who did not want to be named, said that an alarm bell will also be installed in the coach where nursing attendant deployed by the Delhi health department will stay put.

“The bell can be pressed either by the patient or the attendant. The siren system installed outside the coach is so strong that it will alert medical staff even if they are in the last coach. The red light will help them identify the coach from where the alarm was sounded,” said the official.

In all, 503 railway coaches have been turned into makeshift Covid-19 isolation wards and are stationed at nine different stations – Anand Vihar, Shakur Basti, Sarai Rohilla, Shahdara, Safdarjung, Adarsh Nagar, Delhi Cantt, Tughlakabad and Patel Nagar – in Delhi.