Photos: Indian Railways dons COVID-19 care role as cases surge

After a partial resumption of services on May 1 to ferry migrant workers home during the lockdown, the Indian Railways has now decided to modify unused railway coaches and use them as isolation wards in areas where the state has exhausted facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. In Delhi, the Centre will provide 500 railway coaches in view of the shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients in the national capital, Union home minister Amit Shah said on June 14 after a meeting with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The home minister said that the coaches will add 8,000 beds to the existing strength of beds in Delhi and will have all the facilities and equipment to treat coronavirus infection.

Updated on: Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM IST

News

Share via

• 
• 
• 
• 

Copy link

• 

1/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

A railways employee cleans a train coach readied for use as a temporary isolation ward for coronavirus patients at Anand Vihar railway station on June 16. In light of surging cases in the capital, Home Minister Amit Shah ordered 250 COVID-19 care coaches deployed by June 16. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

2/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

People wait to be tested outside the Covid-19 ward at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi on June 16. According to the integrated COVID-19 plan developed by the health ministry and the NITI Aayog, railway coaches can be used in areas where the state needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, reported PTI. (Sonu Mehta / HT Photo)

3/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

Migrant workers arrive at the Amritsar railway station to board a Shramik special train on June 14. Before lending support to fight against Covid-19 through isolation ward coaches, the railways had resumed services partially and ferried over 60 lakh migrant workers home via 4,450 Shramik trains starting May 1. (Sameer Sehgal / HT Photo)

4/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

Railway coaches turned isolation wards stand parked in the maintenance depot of the Shakurbasti railway station on June 15. Chairman of the Railway Board, VK Yadav told PTI that each COVID-19 care centre will be linked to the nearest hospital so that patients can be moved in case of an emergency. He also said that the Railways had appointed nodal officers for each state. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

5/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

A worker sanitizes the outside of a train coach readied for use as a temporary isolation ward on June 16. The Chairman of the Railway Board also told PTI that suspected and confirmed patients would be kept in separate coaches. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

6/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

Oxygen cylinders installed inside a train coach that will be used as a temporary isolation ward at the Anand Vihar Railway Station on June 16. The railway ministry has said that the train coaches have all necessary medical equipment such as blankets, medical supplies and sterilized berths for the safety and convenience of individuals in isolation. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

7/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

Dustbins seen inside a coach modified into an isolation care unit for COVID-19 patients on June 16. The Railway Ministry speaking with PTI confirmed that these coaches-turned-isolation wards will be equipped with mosquito nets, charging points for laptops and phones. The toilets also have been modified into bathrooms. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

8/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

“When the train is handed back to Railways, the staff deployed shall ensure, all biomedical waste bins are cleaned and emptied; the train cleaned and disinfected, and then handed over to authorized staff after tallying the inventory. The Railway staff shall again disinfect the train as per protocol issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time and lock it till further orders,” the Union Railways Ministry told ANI. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

9/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

“Only people with mild symptoms will be kept here. Management of coach and patient will be done by the state,” the Northern Railways chief public relations officer (CPRO) told HT. On June 16, the Delhi government also directed the Taj Man Singh hotel to provide all its rooms to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital with immediate effect for accommodating Covid-19 patients. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

10/10

View Photos in a new improved layout

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 11:22 AM

A view of the Ghorpadi locomotive shed in Pune on June 15. The Pune railway division had converted 60 coaches with a capacity of 1,080 beds into isolation wards in April. However, these coaches are lying unused at the Ghorpadi coach repair factory. Though the district administration has maintained that there is no bed shortage, there have been cases when patients were denied admission by hospitals. (Pratham Gokhale / HT Photo)