Nagpur’s municipal body has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Railways for the provision of 11 COVID Care Coaches for the city.
In keeping with the MoU, Indian Railways will deploy 11 such coaches with the capacity to accommodate 16 patients in each isolation coach. The coaches have been stabled at the now decommissioned Ajni Inland Container Depot. The MoU was signed by the Municipal Commissioner for Nagpur, Radhakrishnan B, and Divisional Railway Manager for Nagpur Division of Central Railway, Richa Khare.
The coaches will be equipped with the necessary medical infrastructure by the State Health Authorities with Railways devising segmentation of space and utility for medical personnel in line with MoU besides taking care of sanitation and catering arrangements.
The Ministry of Railways has made nearly 4,000 COVID Care coaches with almost 64,000 beds ready for use by various states. At present 169 coaches have been handed over to various states for COVID care.
At Nandrubar (Maharashtra), 57 patients are currently utilising the facility, of which 1 patient was shifted. 322 beds are still available. In Delhi, the Railway has catered to the full demand of state governments’ demand for 75 Covid Care coaches with a capacity of 1200 beds. 50 coaches are positioned at Shakurbasti and 25 Coaches at Anand Vihar stations.
Ratlam Division of Western Railway has deployed 20 Coaches with a capacity of 320 beds at Tihi station near Indore. In UP, though coaches have not yet been requisitioned by State Govt, 10 coaches each are placed at Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli & Nazibabad totalling to a capacity of 800 beds (50 coaches).
The utilisation of these facilities in the above-mentioned states, as per latest records, cumulatively registers 98 admissions with 28 subsequent discharges. As per the latest reports, the Railway has registered 17 admissions and 6 discharges. Presently 70 covid patients are utilising the isolation coaches.