Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Telangana have requested the Railways for coaches modified into COVID-19 isolation wards.
Also read: Railways’ isolation coaches to be deployed at 215 stations
While Uttar Pradesh has requisitioned at least 240 coaches, Telangana has asked for 60 coaches and Delhi 10 coaches.
“As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a few State governments have sent the requisition to the Indian Railways. The Railways has allocated these coaches to the States/Union Territories,” the Railways said in a statement.
These coaches can be used for very mild cases that can be clinically assigned to the COVID care centres as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
“These coaches can be used in areas where the State has exhausted the facilities and needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspect and confirmed COVID cases,” the Railways said. These facilities are part of the integrated COVID plan developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the NITI Aayog.
The Railways has modified 5,231 coaches into COVID care centres. Trains with a unit composition of 10 coaches and a patient capacity of 16 per coach have been made ready, it said.
Uttar Pradesh has finalised 24 stations for deployment of these coaches. Telangana has chosen Secunderabad, Kachiguda and Adilabad, the Railways said.
