Maligaon, May 7 (MExN): As many as 4,400 isolation coaches with around 70,000 beds to serve as isolation units have been sent out to states across the country by the Ministry of Railways as part of its COVID-19 response.
In the latest update, with latest demands from the State of Assam, the ministry has moved 21 isolation coaches to Guwahati and 20 isolation coaches to Badarpur near Silchar in Assam which fall under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone. Earlier in the week, isolation coaches were deployed at Sabarmati, Chandlodiya and Dimapur, a press release from the NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Subhanan Chanda stated.
Accordingly, as per demands, 298 coaches have been handed over to various states for COVID care with a bed-capacity of more than 4,700 beds, it added. Along with Gujarat, Nagaland and Assam, the isolation coaches have also been sent to Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
As per latest records, a cumulative 177 admissions with 117 subsequent discharges were recorded in these states. Presently, 60 COVID-19 patients are utilising the isolation coaches and around 4,700 beds are still available at these facilities including the recent deployment at Guwahati and Badarpur, the release stated.
In UP, though coaches have not yet been requisitioned by the state governemnt, 10 coaches each are placed at Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli, and Nazibabad totalling to a capacity of 800 beds in 50 coaches, it added.
