Coronavirus pandemic patients count is increasing with every passing day. Their treatment requires isolation wards with the proper facilities. Amid this chaos and rush, the Indian Railways came up with a very innovative idea of converting the train coaches to an isolation ward. On March 28th, railway minister Piyush Goyal and the Indian Railways displayed prototypes of an isolation coach for COVID-19. The Indian railways are working day and night to fight against this pandemic and trying to contribute in every possible way.
Why Train Coaches?
Due to the 21-day lockdown, all the trains are on rest. The coronavirus patients require a spatial separation of at least 1 meter according to the guidelines provided, so this spatial separation is possible in the train coaches. In short, patients require one full isolated room for the treatment; the railways are providing them one.
How many patients can be served in a single isolated ward?
Each coach is having a capacity of serving 9 patients. All the patients will be provided with proper medical facilities as well as all the required medical equipment for the treatment of COVID-19.
What about Hygiene?
Once the count of the train coaches to be converted into an isolation ward is decided, the coaches will go through a complete sanitization before and after conversion. Railways will offer hygienic surroundings to the patients.
How are Indian railways employees converting train coaches into quarantine hub?
According to the planning of Indian railways, all the upper and middle birth from coaches will be removed and sufficient distance will be provided between the patients. Ladders for climbing the upper births will also be removed. Bathrooms and the aisle side will also be modified as per the plan. Mosquito nets will also be fixed in the converted quarantine wards. There will be separate cabins for doctors, nurses, and patients. The wards will be sanitized before and after the conversion.
What is the need for creating isolation wards on the train rather than on the ground?
The isolation wards inside the train coaches are created for the remote areas where isolation wards and proper treatment of COVID-19 is not available. These coaches will also be helpful in the situation of emergency if the COVID-19 patient count increased rapidly.
How many train coaches will be converted into isolation wards?
If the isolation cabin prototype will get approved then according to the sources the Indian railways are planning to convert 10 train coaches into isolation wards per week. On 31st March, the Ministry of Railways said “that Indian Railways ready to modify its 20,000 coaches as isolation wards, which can accommodate up to 3.2 lac beds. Initially 5000 coaches being prepared to accommodate up to 80,000 beds. Coaches being modified in different zones.”
How the Indian Railways will arrange the furniture for conversion?
Railways workshop is taking full responsibility for the requirements and they are working day and night to meet the needs. They are also availing other kinds of furniture for isolation wards.
Railways workshop fulfilling the need of beds
Bed for isolation wards
How the prototype of isolation wards look like in real?
Here are some images of the prototype isolation wards released by Indian railways.
Fully equipped train coach that has been turned into
An isolation ward
Separate Cabins for Patients, Doctors and Nurses
Modified Bathrooms
Converted Isolated Coach
This is the best possible and innovative solution to a problem to date. Easy conversion, fast to set up, cost-effective and portable is making this idea unique. It is serving the purpose very well. The Indian Railways has come up with an excellent example of how we can utilize limited resources with optimum utilization.
