Rail coach as ICU — how Modi govt plans to beat healthcare gaps in remote areas

The Modi govt has been thinking of innovative ways to expand its medical capacity in order to address the rising incidence of COVID-19 in India.

Indian Railways (representational image) | Commons

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for railway coaches and cabins to be converted into isolation wards or ICUs to ensure healthcare access in remote areas in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, ThePrint has learnt.

According to sources in the government, Modi was presented with this idea a few weeks ago, but gave his go-ahead Tuesday.

Since all towns have rail access, the sources said, trains with makeshift isolation wards will help serve areas that experience an outbreak but lack the requisite facilities.

The government, it is learnt, has been thinking of innovative ways to expand its medical capacity in order to address the rising incidence of COVID-19 in India.

With PM Narendra Modi announcing a 21-day national lockdown Tuesday, passenger trains across the country stand cancelled until 14 April even as freight operations continue for the transport of essential commodities.

‘A good idea’

According to media reports, a Kochi-based firm called Asset Homes had submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) where it offered to fashion hospitals out of trains.

“We have 12,617 trains with 23-30 coaches in our country. We can easily convert them into ‘mobile hospitals’ with facilities like consultation rooms, medical store, ICU and pantry,” the firm’s managing director reportedly wrote in the letter.

“Each train can accommodate at least 1,000 beds. Using the 7,500+ railway stations, the patients can be admitted to the trains.”

A senior railway official said it was good idea to convert coaches into mobile isolation wards, but added that it would be easier to first convert the railways’ Accident Relief Medical Equipment Vans (ARME) — or rail ambulances — into isolation wards.

“These are basically moving hospitals meant to provide medical treatment and assistance in case of rail accidents,” the official said. “It might be easier to convert them into isolation wards since they already have some medical facilities.”

Among other steps taken to check the pandemic, the railways have been instructed to introduce isolation wards at railway hospitals.