The Railways Ministry on Monday said that around 64,000 COVID-19 care beds have been provisioned in around 4000 Covid care coaches across the country, adding that it has met the demand of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra for COVID-19 care coaches by deploying 2,670 Covid Care Beds in 9 Railway Stations of these states.
In an official statement, the ministry said, "The Ministry of Railways is swiftly meeting the State Governments' demand for the facility of Covid Care coaches during the current raging second spell of the Covid pandemic with its fleet of 4000 coaches (retrofitted as isolation units) with a capacity of 64000 beds. As per currently available data, these facilities are seeing a steady intake registering a cumulative admission of 81 Covid patients and their subsequent discharge of 22 patients. None of the facilities have registered any casualties."
In Delhi, the Railways has catered to the full demand of the government for 75 Covid Care coaches with a capacity of 1200 beds. 50 coaches positioned at Shakurbasti and 25 coaches at Anand Vihar stations. Presently, 5 patients admitted at Shakurbasti and one patient discharged. In the first COVID-19 wave last year, 857 patients admitted and discharged at Shakurbasti facility, the ministry informed.
In Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, the Railways has deployed 20 Isolation Coaches with a capacity of 292 beds. 3 patients were admitted and are presently utilising the facility. In Maharashtra's Nandrubar 24 Isolation Coaches with a capacity of 292 beds deployed. This facility has registered 73 admissions to date.
The ministry added that four new admissions recorded till 4 pm on Monday in the Nandrubar unit. Though the Uttar Pradesh government have not yet demanded COVID-19 care coaches, 10 coaches each placed at Faizabad, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli and Nazibabad totalling to a capacity of 800 beds in 50 coaches, it said.
