COVID-19: isolation ward set up at railway hospital

Isolation ward that has been created at the Divisional Railway Hospital at Ponmalai in Tiruchi on Thursday. (Source: Special Arrangement)

A separate isolation ward has been created at the Divisional Railway Hospital here to deal with suspected COVID-19 cases following an instruction from the Railway Board, New Delhi.

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The isolation ward with 12 beds and equipped with necessary protective gears has been set up on the ground floor of the hospital situated within the sprawling Ponmalai Railway Colony.

Preventive measures taken  

The Executive Director Health (General), Railway Board, K. Sridhar in a communication to the Principal Chief Medical Directors of all railway zones has suggested a list of measures to ensure preparedness on the part of the railways in the wake of few COVID-19 cases detected in the country.

One among the measures suggested by the Railway Board is the establishment of isolation ward in every divisional / sub divisional hospitals in the railway zones for treating suspected COVID-19 cases with availability of necessary protective gears.

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The Board in a communication sent on Wednesday also directed that railway doctors and para medical staff should be nominated for training courses being conducted by Central and State governments on prevention of COVID-19. Another measure suggested is that information to create awareness among general public of COVID-19 should be prominently displayed in local language. Any suspicious COVID- 19 case reported in any of the railway hospital / health in the railway zone should be informed to the Railway Board immediately, the communication from Dr. Sridhar further said. It has asked all medical in-charges of the railway zones to remain in constant touch with the respective State health authorities to obtain guidelines / updates issued on the subject and take necessary detective, preventive and curative measures as suggested by the State authorities.

A senior medical official attached to the Divisional Railway Hospital at Ponmalai said the isolation ward to exclusively deal with suspected COVID-19 case was opened on Thursday with a doctor on emergency deployed round-the-clock.