Indian Railways Converts 5231 Train Coaches Into COVID Care Centres

Courtesy Deccan Herald

New Delhi: In its effort to sustain the Union government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways have converted 5231 rail coaches into COVID Care Centres which will serve as quarantine facility for different states.

As per Union Health Ministry guidelines, mild cases can be clinically assigned to these coaches.

The coaches have been allocated to state governments and Union Territories which have sent the requisition to Indian Railways.

These coaches are meant to be used in areas where the state has exhausted facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of suspect and confirmed COVID cases.

UP has finalised 24 stations for deployment of these coaches, while Telangana has chosen Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad locations. Delhi has requisitioned 10 such coaches.

Railways will provide healthcare facilities in 85 stations, while in 130 stations, states can avail of COVID care coaches only if they agree to provide staff and essential medicines.

Indian Railways has kept 158 stations ready with watering and charging facility, and 58 stations with watering facility for these COVID Care centres.