The Indian railways have offered its coaches and cabins to be used as isolation wards for the patients who are tested positive of COVID-19 novel coronavirus. It will be used as a hospital on the wheel for mainly those areas where people have inadequate medical facilities.
As per a report in Hindustan Times, the proposal to use the empty coaches and cabins to be used as an isolation and care units for patients was discussed in a meeting of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal with Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav, General Managers of all zones and Divisional Railway Managers through video conferencing on Wednesday.
It was discussed how railways can contribute in the fight against the deadly contagion by manufacturing essential commodities like ventilators, beds, trolleys along with the proposal of using these coaches which are equipped with toilets as isolation wards.
The idea popped up after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the cabinet to look for innovative ideas in order to boost medical facilities across the nation in wake of novel coronavirus crisis that is spreading rapidly. The compartments of railways will be used as a hospital on wheels with consultation rooms, medical stores, Intensive Care Unit, and pantry.
These hospitals on wheels will be settled anywhere across the country wherever the patients will be found with inadequate medical facilities. Railways will also have a slew of Accident Relief Medical Equipment Vans (ARME) called as rail ambulances.
Indian railways have suspended all its trains and journeys till 14 April in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.
