270 COACHES ON SWR READY TO SERVE AS ISOLATION WARDS / QUARANTINE HUBS
To provide facilities to Quarantine persons who have tested positive to the novel corona virus Covid -19, Zonal Railway are in a mission role of converting Sleeper Coaches to Quarantine wards by modifying the coaches as per prototype issued by Railway Board. Consequent to nation-wide lockdown starting on March 25th all passenger train services were suspended across the country.
In a bid to increase the country’s capacity for isolation facilities, Railways is converting sleeper class coaches into Covid – 19 isolation wards suitable to act as quarantine hubs. These coaches will meet the requirement of any possible exigency of keeping some suspected Covid-19 patients in isolation when required by the Government. The protocol for using these coaches is under issue by Ministry of Health and Family welfare and same will be followed.
The coaches are being equipped with facilities needed as per medical guidelines, paramedics etc., are also being ensured. Each coach will have 8 berth cabin for isolation facility. These coaches are clean, sanitized and have hygienic ambience for the patients to recover comfortably.
SWR has so far converted 270 coaches, as against target of 312 coaches as isolation/quarantine wards as per isolation cabin prototype to meet the needs of the patients. This coach isolation prototype was issued by Railway Board on 30th Mar.2020 and coaches are being modified as under:
Isolation Compartments
§ Middle Berths, ladders are removed to ensure comfort & better space.
§ Plastic Transparent Air Curtains for Isolation also screening
§ Bottle Holders in each compartment for holding Medical Equipments as well as Water Bottles.
§ The first cabin near the bathroom shall be provided with two hospital/plastic curtains transversely in the aisle so that the entry and exit to the entire 8 berth cabin can be sealed off.
§ This cabin will be used as store/paramedic area
§ Oxygen cylinder will be provided by the medical department for which suitable clamping arrangement on the side berth side of this cabin will be provided.
§ Electric Sockets for operating electrical equipments.
§ One bathrooms and Lavatory are provided diagonally in the coach.
§ Tap with one bucket and mug is provided in the bathroom.
Power supply
§ Inverter control MCBs provided inside the junction box.
§ 110V DC input
Against a target of 312 coaches for SWR, 270 coaches have already been modified at workshops/divisions. The balance coaches will be completed shortly. The details of modification work already completed on SWR are as under;
Unit Completed
Hubballi Workshop 76 Coaches
Mysuru Workshops 71 Coaches
Bengaluru Division 61 Coaches
Mysuru Division 29 Coaches
Hubballi Division 33 Coaches
SWR 270 Coaches
Shri Suresh Angadi, Hon’ble Minister of State of Railways will be visiting Hubballi Workshop on 10.4.2020 to oversee the work being taken up and review the progress for the conversion of coaches. For the first time in history, Railways are forced to suspend Passenger services due to the COVID-19.
However, running freight trains for essential goods to meet the requirement of the public throughout the country is being continued and Railway has joined the battle of Nation against COVID-19 by supplementing health infrastructure to the nation.
