Railways ready with plan to convert coaches into isolation wards, ICUs for Covid-19 patients

PM Modi has instructed the railways to turn some coaches into isolation wards, so that people in remote areas without medical facilities can be reached.

A railway worker sanitises a Rajdhani Express coach (representational image) | Photo: ANI

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the Indian Railways to convert train coaches into isolation wards and ICUs to ensure healthcare access in remote areas in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the layout and design for the required modifications has been prepared.

The railways’ orders, accessed by ThePrint, state that a slew of modifications would be needed to convert rail coaches into isolation or ICU wards.

Some of the modifications that will be needed to turn the coaches into wards include removing the side partition next to the main door on each end, converting one Indian toilet on each side into a bathing room, removing middle berths, etc.

The way to convert toilets into bathing rooms would be “by placing wooden batten structure on the entire floor, which also covers the squatting pan”.

“A hand shower is to be provided and it is to be equipped with bucket, mug and soap dish also,” the orders state.

Among other modifications will be removing all ladders for climbing up to the middle and upper berths, using extra bottle holders for holding medical equipment, making functional all-charging points for laptops and mobiles, providing 230 V sockets in each cabin, and providing plastic curtains in each cabin to ensure isolation.

A senior official who did not wish to be named said that the orders will be notified by the Ministry of Railways Saturday.

Rail coaches standing idle

ThePrint had reported Wednesday that PM Modi gave a go-ahead to the idea of turning coaches into isolation wards for Covid-19 patients since all towns have rail access. Trains with makeshift isolation wards will help serve areas that experience an outbreak but lack the requisite facilities.

The plan was considered feasible because rail coaches have been sitting idle since passenger train movement across the country stand cancelled until 14 April, even though freight operations continue for the transport of essential commodities.

Following the PM’s instructions, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Wednesday instructed top officials to start preparations.