Indian Railways Will Convert 20,000 Coaches As Coronavirus Isolation Wards With 3.2 Lakh Beds
In the coming days as the cases of COVID-19 are expected to spike in India to a point where the existing hospital facilities won't be enough to accommodate the number of patients needing medical help, one solution for this is to have makeshift hospitals, by converting existing structures.?
And on this front, India has been doing a great job, especially the railways, by converting the train coaches to isolation facilities.The Indian Railways said that it will modify 20,000 coaches into quarantine/ isolation coaches to augment the quarantine facilities.?
Five Zonal Railways have already prepared prototypes for the quarantine/ isolation coaches.These modified 20,000 coaches can accommodate up to 3.2 lakh possible beds for isolation needs. Work on modification of 5000 coaches, which are to be converted initially into quarantine/ isolation coaches has already started. These 5,000 coaches would be having the capacity to accommodate up to 80,000 beds. One coach is expected to have 16 beds for isolation.?
Only Non-AC ICF sleeper coaches are being planned to be utilized for conversion into quarantine/ isolation coaches. One Indian style toilet is to be converted into a bathing room. It is to be equipped with a bucket, mug and soap dispenser. Taps with lift type handle would be provided in washbasins. A similar tap to be provided at the proper height so that the bucket can be filled.?
The first cabin near the bathing room shall be provided with two hospitals/ plastic curtains transversely in the aisle so that the entry and exit to the entire eight berth cabins can be screened off. This cabin will be used as a store/paramedics area. Two oxygen cylinders will also be provided by the Medical department for which suitable clamping arrangement on the side berth side of this cabin is to be provided.?
Both middle berths are to be removed in each cabin. Extra bottle holders shall be provided in each cabin for holding medical equipment, two for each berth. Extra 3 peg coat hooks, 2 per cabin to be provided. Mosquito net to be provided on windows to avoid mosquito entry inside and have proper ventilation too. Each cabin will be provided with 3 dustbins with foot-operated lids of Red, Blue, and Yellow Colour suitably lined with garbage bags.?
For insulation of the coaches, Bamboo/Khus mats may be affixed/ pasted on the roof and each side of the coach above and below windows to shield the effect of heat inside the coach. All charging points for laptop and mobile to be functional. It must be ensured that all amenity fittings are in place whenever the coaches are requisitioned.??
"The coaches will be equipped with basic facilities needed as per medical guidelines. Provision is being made for charging points of mobiles and laptops. Mosquito nets with space for paramedics etc are also being made available. Each coach will provide 8 berth cabin for isolation facility. Zonal Railways have been advised to prepare coaches as per isolation cabin prototype to meet the needs of the patients by Railway Board," a press statement of SWR reads.
