Over 80 railway hospitals to get oxygen plants to tide over Covid-19 crisis

So far, around 2,000 railway employees have lost their lives to Covid-19 with about 1,000 getting infected daily.

All 86 of Indian Railways’ Covid-19 hospitals will soon get their oxygen plants set up, the railway ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

File photo: An employee at the private oxygen cylinder filling facility. (Ravi Kumar/Hindustan Times)

While four oxygen plants are already functional, 52 are sanctioned and 30 are under various stages of processing, the ministry said. “All Railway Covid Hospitals to be equipped with Oxygen Plants,” it added.

So far, around 2,000 railway employees have lost their lives to Covid-19 with about 1,000 getting infected daily, according to the ministry. So far, around 4.32 lakh rail employees have been vaccinated.

General Managers of zonal railways have been delegated further powers, up to ₹2 crores in each case to sanction oxygen generation plants, it said.

The ministry also said the total number of beds for Covid-19 treatment has been increased from 2,539 to 6,972. The ICU beds in Covid-19 hospitals have been increased from 273 to 573 while invasive ventilators have been added and their number has been increased from 62 to 296.

“Constant efforts are being made to add critical medical equipment like BIPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, etc, across railway hospitals. Railways have also issued instructions that Covid affected employees may be admitted to empanelled hospitals on a referral basis as per the need,” the ministry said.