Officials of the South Central Railway (SCR), Vijayawada division, will convert 32 sleeper and general coaches into COVID isolation wards. The first coach was prepared at the coaching depot at the station on Thursday.
“Following the directions of the Centre, the Railways is converting sleeper coaches into isolation wards across all the zones in the country. In Vijayawada division, we are converting 32 coaches,” said Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) P. Srinivas.
COVID isolation wards will be kept at the platforms, and the converted coaches will have round-the-clock power and water supply, the DRM told The Hindu.
Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer K. Srinivas Rao, who is monitoring the operation, said each coach would have nine beds (berths), including one cabin for paramedical staff, space for arranging two oxygen cylinders and other emergency services.
Fully loaded
“We are providing sanitisers, soaps, plastic curtains, mosquito nets, biodegradable garbage bins, LED lights, medical equipment at the beds and facilities for using laptops,” Mr. Srinivas said.
Coaching depot officer G. Uday Bhaskar said the converted coaches would be arranged Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Narsapuram railway stations.
“Middle berths will be removed in each cabin and the side and upper berths can be used by nurses and paramedical staff. Each coach will have four toilets, including one bathroom,” Mr. Uday Bhaskar said.
As per medical advice, one patient will be admitted in each cabin and the coaches have been modified accordingly. The coaches are being converted as per the directions of the Railway Board. Instructions have been given to the coaching depot staff to complete the operation as soon as possible as the cases were increasing by the day, the officials said.
