New Delhi: In a fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways has started providing care to coronavirus patients referred for admission in Covid coaches deployed in various states.
As many as 59 suspected corona positive persons, including 42 suspected patients were admitted in COVID Coaches deployed at Mau Junction in Varanasi division on Saturday and 17 patients were admitted on Sunday while eight patients have already been discharged.
Indian Railways is making an all out effort to supplement the health care efforts of State Governments. Indian Railways has geared up to provide its 5231 Covid Care Coaches to the States. Zonal Railways have converted these coaches as COVID Care Centres to be used for very mild / mild cases.
As of now, Indian Railways has deployed total 960 COVID Care coaches in five states i.e. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhara Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. Out of total 960 COVID Care coaches, 503 COVID Care coaches have been deployed in Delhi, 20 in Andhra Pradesh, 60 in Telangana, 372 in Uttar Pradesh and five in Madhya Pradesh.
In Delhi, 503 COVID Care coaches are deployed at nine locations. 50 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Shakurbasti, 267 at Anand Vihar, 21 at Delhi Safdarjung, 50 at Delhi Sarai Rohilla, 33 at Delhi Cant, 30 at Adarsh Nagar, 13 at Delhi Shahadra, 13 at Tughlakabad and 26 at Patel Nagar.
In Uttar Pradesh, total 372 COVID Care coaches have been deployed at 23 different locations, five COVID Care coaches are deployed at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, total 20 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Vijayawada while in Telangana, a total of 60 COVID Care coaches are deployed at 3 different locations i.e. Secunderabad, Kachguda and Adilabad.
As per guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the state governments sent the requisition to Indian Railways and Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.
It is worth mentioning that Indian Railways is working as Service Provider of Coaches as COVID Care Centres as its contribution to national cause. Doctors and paramedics are to be provided by State Governments. This is as per MOHFW guidelines issued on May 6 this year.
These Coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the Covid Care centers as per guidelines issued by MoHFW. These coaches can be used in areas where State has exhausted the facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspect and confirmed Covid cases. These facilities are part of the integrated COVID plan developed by MoHFW and NITI Ayog.