Western Railway to convert 410 coaches for isolation of suspected COVID-19 patients

Western Railway on Friday said that it will convert around 410 train coaches to facilitate the isolation of suspected coronavirus patients at all its six divisions, including the Mumbai division.

"A coach has been converted for isolation of possibly infected COVID-19 patients by Bhavnagar workshop of Western Railway. 410 coaches will be converted by Western Railway at all its 6 Divisions including Mumbai Division," officials said.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus, Indian Railways is making an all-out effort to supplement the health care efforts of the Central government.

The Railways has modified passenger coaches as isolation coaches and equipped the existing Railway hospitals to meet the COVID-19 needs, earmarked hospital beds to meet the contingencies, recruited additional doctors and paramedics among other measures.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has also started converting coaches into isolation wards at the Coach Maintenance Depot in Kamakhya and Guwahati after consulting medical professionals at its NF Railway Central Hospital, Maligaon.

This comes as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has claimed the lives of 56 people and infected a total number of 2,301 people so far.