Ferozepur Rail Division starts to convert coaches as Isolation Wards

Ferozepur Rail Division starts to convert coaches as Isolation Wards

Railways to modify 20,000 coaches into Isolation Coaches

HARISH MONGA

Ferozepur, April 3, 2020: Indian Railways has decided to modify 20,000 coaches into Isolation Wards,  in a bid to battle with the corona virus outbreak in the country.  In the meantime,  Ferozepur Rail   Division  has also been asked to prepare isolation coach for Corona hospital. This prototype of isolation coach has been designed by Northern Railway.   Meanwhile, Ferozepur Rail Division has started converting coaches as Isolation Wards.

Indian Railways has decided to modify 20,000 coaches into quarantine/ isolation coaches to augment the quarantine facilities to treat COVID-19 patients. These modified 20000 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 5000 coaches would be having the capacity to accommodate up to 80000 beds. One coach is expected to have 16 beds for isolation”, railways said in a statement.

In order to construct an isolation coach for the corona patients, the middle berths have been removed from all the nine cabins of the coach. Both the lower berths in 8 cabins will be available for patients, i.e. two patients can be treated in one cabin and total 16 in one coach. One cabin nearby toilet will be used for medical department. Upper berths can be utilized for patient’s baggage.  All ladders for climbing up berths have also been removed.   One toilet out of four has been converted into the bathroom in each coach. Aisle areas and other areas have also been modified to prepare the isolation coach, said Rajesh Aggarwal, DRM, Ferozepur.

DRM said, to combat the coronavirus spread, railway has already stopped the running of the passengers but goods trains for movement of essential commodities are running.

Railway too is joining hands with the government by converting the coaches into Isolation Wards as the health infrastructure with the country is not sufficient to meet such challenges, he added.

One such job is of providing Isolation coaches. These coaches are being converted to meet the requirement, in the event of non-availability of space for quarantine.   We have converted the coaches from our old existing stock which has already run for more 15 to 20 years but still in service in the fag-end years, he said

DRM said, In Ferozepur Division, around 40-45 are to be modified into Isolation Wards.  These would be available for persons when the space in hospitals or at home is not available for quarantine.  Initially, to start with, on need basis, we will be keeping one patient in one cabin and to keep them connected with family members, we have made arrangements of charging of mobiles also.

We will be disinfecting all the coaches converted as Isolation Ward. We will be connecting all such coaches and keep them in a train form, at an isolated track, where all facilities like ambulation, sanitation etc are available, he said.