Fighting Covid-19: Railways Covid Care coaches operationalised, UP becomes 1st state to use it as isolation coaches (PICs)

New Delhi: Sustaining the fight against Covid-19, Indian Railways has started providing care to corona patient referred for admission in COVID Coaches deployed in various states.

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to use the Railway’s coronavirus isolation wards with coaches deployed at Mau station receiving 59 Covid-19 patients in last 2 days. Officials said eight of them have already been discharged while 51 are housed in non-air conditioned coaches, modified to work as Covid care centres.

Indian Railways has made an all out effort to supplement the state governments in tackling Covid-19. As of now, Indian Railways has deployed total 960 COVID Care coaches in 5 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 5 in Madhya Pradesh.

In Delhi, 503 COVID Care coaches are deployed at 9 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.

372 Covid coaches in UP, 60 in Telangana

In Uttar Pradesh, total 372 COVID Care coaches have been deployed at 23 different locations i.e. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn., Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Mirzapur, Subedarganj, Kanpur, Jhansi, Jhansi Workshop, Agra, Nakha Jungle, Gonda, Nautanwa, Bahraich, Varanasi City, Manduadih, Mau, Bhatni, Bareilly City, Farrukhabad and Kasganj.

In Madhya Pradesh, total 5 COVID Care coaches are deployed at Gwalior. 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) Government of India, these State Governments have sent the requisition to Indian Railways and Railways have allocated these coaches to the State/UTs.

Coaches to serve as isolation ward for mild Covid cases

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 6th May 2020.Railways is deploying 2 liaison officers for each location of coaches to assist State Government officials.

It may be noted that 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.