The Ministry of Railways is swiftly meeting the State Governments’ demand for the facility of Covid Care coaches during the current raging second spell of the Covid pandemic with its fleet of 4000 coaches (retrofitted as isolation units) with a capacity of 64000 beds. As per currently available data, these facilities are seeing a steady intake registering a cumulative admission of 81 Covid patients and their subsequent discharge of 22 patients. None of the facilities have registered any casualties.
The updated position of the utility of these coaches positioned at the nine major stations in the States of Delhi, UP, MP and Maharashtra are as follows:
In Delhi, the Railway has catered to the full demand of State Governments ie 75 Covid Care coaches with a capacity of 1200 beds.
50 coaches are positioned at Shakurbasti and 25 coaches at AnandVihar stations. Presently, 5 patients were admitted at Shakurbasti and one patient discharged. In the first Covid wave last year (2020), 857 patients were admitted and discharged at the Shakurbasti facility.
In Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), the Railway has deployed 20 Isolation Coaches with a capacity of 292 beds. 3 patients were admitted and are presently utilizing the facility.
In Nandrubar (Maharashtra), 24 Isolation Coaches with a capacity of 292 beds have been deployed. This facility has registered 73 admissions to date. Of the 55 patients’ admissions in the current Covid spell, 7 patients have been discharged. 4 new admissions were recorded during the day (26.4.2021). The Unit has 326 beds still available for Covid patients.
In UP, though coaches have not yet been requisitioned by State Govt, 10 coaches each are placed at Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli&Nazibabad totaling a capacity of 800 beds (50 coaches).