COVID-19: Trains likely to be converted into makeshift hospitals

Shoranur: India too is in the midst of an intense combat against the COVID-19 pandemic. With passenger train services suspended across the country in an attempt to halt the spread of the causative novel coronavirus, the Railways is considering converting empty coaches into treatment centres for COVID-19 patients if the situation warrants so.

If COVID-19 cases shoot up, there could be a shortage of public treatment centres. Trains could then be used as makeshift hospitals. As many as 4,000 long-distance trains could be used for this emergency plan.

The railway coaches might also be made available if there is a dearth of space for isolation.

Train coaches would be converted to hospital wards as per the rail ambulance system implemented by the Central Railways in 2017.

The Railway board has sought the opinion of Divisional Railway Managers in this regard.

The railway workshop had set up an ambulance, with four coaches, equipped to carry out emergency surgeries for 50 people in Mumbai in 2017.

The railways on Sunday announced suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 midnight and said only goods trains will run during the said period.

The railways had already trimmed down its services on Friday by cancelling a majority of trains. However, it had allowed all trains that had already started the journey to continue.

According to a new order issued by the railways, only goods trains will run from March 22 midnight to March 31 midnight.

"However, a bare minimum suburban services and the Kolkata Metro Rail service will continue till March 22 midnight. Thereafter, these services will also be stopped till March 31 midnight," a spokesperson of the Indian Railways said.

The death toll due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to nine on Monday after West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh reported a casualty each, while the number of confirmed cases soared to 468, the Union Health Ministry said.

The central and state governments had on Sunday announced lockdown in about 80 districts where at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported.

COVID-19, which stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019, is the name of the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the Coronavirus family with crown-shaped spikes on its surfaces. The name of the disease was given by the World Health Organisation.