This story is from April 1, 2020

Rajasthan: 266 coaches to be made quarantine units

The engineering wing of North Western Railways (NWR) is tirelessly working to convert 266 coaches into isolation wards for keeping Covid-19 suspects. On the direction of the railway board, the engineers and technical staff at the carriage workshop in Ajmer and in other divisions of NWR are burning midnight oil to complete the task.
Rajasthan: 266 coaches to be made quarantine units
These coaches will have extra space for oxygen cylinders, medical equipment and toilets
JAIPUR: The engineering wing of North Western Railways (NWR) is tirelessly working to convert 266 coaches into isolation wards for keeping Covid-19 suspects. On the direction of the railway board, the engineers and technical staff at the carriage workshop in Ajmer and in other divisions of NWR are burning midnight oil to complete the task.
These coaches will have extra space for oxygen cylinders, medical equipment and toilets.
With the preparation of these coaches, NWR will be able to accommodate 4,256 isolation beds for patients to be brought for quarantine isolation.
Authorities of NWR on Tuesday said work was in progress and they were on the job of making the isolation coaches as early as possible.
As a part of Covid-19 preparedness, it was decided by Indian Railways to have 20,000 coaches with quarantine facilities. “We have been assigned the task to convert 266 coaches into quarantine isolation facility. Our engineers and other technical staff are on the job to get it done as soon as possibleWe are going to provide it to the state government to bring patients needing quarantine isolation,” said Abhay Sharma, chief public relations officer, NWR.
On specification and modifications of these coaches, a senior officer of engineering wing said, “We have been asked to remove the middle berth and ensure proper space for patients, dedicated space for doctors and para-medical staff attending to them. Extra electrical switches and holders in every cabin to facilitate the team of doctors,” the officer added.
Mosquito nets would be provided on the windows of the coaches. “Also for insulation of the coaches, bamboo/khus mats would be fixed and pasted on the roof. Also extra charging points for laptops, mobile phones and for medical equipment will be installed,” the officer added. “These are non AC sleeper coaches which are under modification. Each coach is expected to have 16 beds for quarantine isolation which means NWR would have 4,256 beds for patients,” the officer added.
Also every cabin in the coach would have three dustbins each with foot operated lids of red, blue and yellow colour suitably lined with garbage bags.
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