Enough isolation coaches available with Railways for COVID patients: General Manager, Northern Railway

By Nishant Ketu
New Delhi [India], November 19 (ANI): As Delhi gears up to deal with the sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Ashutosh Gangwal, General Manager of Northern Railway, on Thursday said that Railway is ready to provide a sufficient number of isolation coaches for quarantine patients if required.
"'The Railways had prepared 500 coaches for quarantine, which were used to admit the patients as per requirement. Then their need was reduced and train services started so some coaches were used for transportation again. But in Shakurbasti railway station, we have maintained a capacity of 50 coaches, which equates to 800 beds. As of the morning of November 19, there were 15 patients admitted there.
He added that Railway has 212 coaches in other places in Delhi, where patients can be admitted for quarantine if needed.
Notably, as the train service is being gradually restored after the unlocking process started, railways had to remove some rakes from the COVID Care.
Updating about the reduced COVID care coaches, Gangwal said that coaches were removed from Anand Vihar due to the commencement of train services.
"But, now that the festival of Chhath has started, we can place them back if needed. But, using 15 out of 800 beds shows that there is not much demand," he added.
It is to be noted that, in all the stations where Railway established the COVID care facilities, it divided the entire station into three zones-- Red, Orange, and Green Zone. Apart from patients, only the medical team of the Delhi government was allowed to go into the coaches used as isolation wards. Patients were admitted there as per the instructions of the Delhi government. (ANI)