Indian Railways gets demand from states for COVID-19 care coaches

With COVID-19 cases increasing in different parts of the country, the states have requested the Indian Railways to allot COVID-19 isolation coaches to treat patients.

The railways on Thursday received request from Uttar Pradesh and Telangana governments for COVID-19 isolation coaches.

The Uttar Pradesh had finalised 24 stations while Telangana has asked for coaches to be stationed in 3 locations- Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad.

The Delhi Government was the first to seek COVID-19 coaches. A rake, comprising 10 coaches, stationed at 1 Shakurbasti Railway Station in national capital to treat patients.

The COVID-19 coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the COVID-19 Care centers as per guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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-19 cases.

The Indian Railway converted 5231 non AC sleeper and General coaches as COVID coaches to suppliment hospital isloation beds. The railways also identified 215 major stations across the country for its deployment and asked the states to utilise it treat mild and very mild COVID-19 patient treatment.

Since no states have come forward to utilise it, the Railway Board has decided to convert around 3100 coaches as normal and deploy it for Shramik Special trains as there is huge demand for non-AC coaches. However, around 2131 coaches will remain as isolation coaches and will be given to states as and when they demand, said an official in the railways.