Over 3,816 railway coaches available for use as Covid Care Coaches: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the Indian Railways gears up to provide Covid Care Coaches to State Authorities. Presently, a total of 3,816 coaches are available for use.
In a PIB release, the Indian Railways announced that over 5,601 train coaches were converted to Covid Care Centres. Presently, a total of 3,816 coaches are available for use. These can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the Covid Care Centres as per guidelines issued by MoHFW.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet on Saturday said, "In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 20 Covid Care Coaches have been arranged by the Indian Railways, which will have 320 beds. These coaches will start functioning fully from April 25."
Representational Image (Source: Shutterstock)
These covid care coaches are being deployed as per demand by State Government. On April 24, 2021, 21 Covid Care Coaches have been deployed at Nandurbar District in Maharashtra under Western Railway.
A PIB release stated that a total of 47 patient have been admitted to these Covid Care Coaches. Also, Madhya Pradesh Government has requested Indian Railways to deploy 20 Covid Care Coaches at Bhopal and 20 Covid Care Coaches at Habibganj Railway Stations in West Central Railway.
These Covid Care Coaches shall be operational and handed over to state governments from April 25, 2021.
According to PTI, 20 isolation coaches with over 300 beds for COVID-19 patients became operational at the Bhopal railway station on Sunday, in a bid to reduce the burden on hospitals that are seeing a scramble for beds due to a surge in coronavirus cases, officials said.
"These coaches are equipped with essential medicines and necessary staff, and oxygen cylinders will also be made available there for emergency use, state Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang told reporters after inspecting the facilities. Coolers and mosquito nets have also been installed in these isolation coaches so that COVID-19 patients can stay comfortably during the summer time. Admission of patients has started in these coaches," PTI reported.
In the Northern Railway, 50 Covid Care Coaches at Shakur Basti, 25 Covid Care Coaches at Anand Vihar, 10 at Varanasi, 10 at Bhadohi, and 10 Covid Care Coaches at Faizabad have been deployed by Indian Railways.
A total of three patient have been admitted in Covid Care Coaches placed at Shakur Basti.
(With inputs from PIB and PTI)
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta
