New Delhi, Apr 28 (IANS): The Railways has mobilised 22 additional Covid care coaches for use in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and 191 isolation coaches in use in different parts of India now.
As on date, 2,990 Covid care beds are available in these isolation coaches.
The Ministry of Railways has, amongst its multi-pronged initiatives, deployed nearly 4000 isolation coaches with almost 64,000 beds.
The Railways has drawn up a de-centralised plan of action empowering various zones and divisions to work out their Memorandum of Agreement for cohesive action. These isolation coaches can be easily moved and positioned at places of demand on the Indian Railways network.
Accordingly, as per the States' demand, at present 191 coaches have been handed over to various states for Covid care with a bed capacity of 2990 beds. Isolation coaches are presently utilised at Delhi, Maharashtra (Ajni ICD, Nandrubar), Madhya Pradesh (Tihi near Indore).
The Railways has also positioned 50 coaches at major cities of Uttar Pradesh like Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli and Nazibabad.
At Nandrubar (Maharashtra), 58 patients are currently utilising the facility. Cumulatively, up to now, 85 admissions were registered with subsequent discharge of patients by the state health authorities. 330 beds are still available.
In Delhi, the Railways has catered to the state governments' demand for 75 Covid care coaches with a capacity of 1200 beds. Fifty coaches are positioned at Shakurbasti and 25 coaches at Anand Vihar stations. Five admissions were registered as on date. 1196 beds are still available.
With regard to the demand by the govt of Madhya Pradesh for 2 coaches, the Ratlam Division of Western Railway has deployed 22 coaches with a capacity of 320 beds at Tihi station near Indore.
At Bhopal, where 20 coaches are deployed, there were 13 admissions with one discharge as per thelatest data. 280 beds are available at this facility.
The utilisation of these facilities in these states, as per the latest records, cumulatively registers 103 admissions with 39 subsequent discharges. Presently 64 Covid patients are in the isolation coaches.
In UP, though coaches have not yet been requisitioned by the state government, 10 coaches each are placed at Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli and Nazibabad totalling to a capacity of 800 beds (50 coaches).