‘Isolation coaches to be used when Covid cases rise’

The continuous rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the district has thrown up new challenges for Northern Railway, which has been operating long-route passengers trains on different routes. The death of a senior railway official from the carriage and wagon department some time back has also raised serious concerns about the safety of field officers and others who have to directly deal with passengers. Rahul Tawar spoke to Ludhiana railway station director Tarun Kumar about new measures being taken to strengthen the safety cover of railway officials, along with passengers who have now started travelling, and about the preparedness to deal with the emergency scenario
What are your plans to boost up the morale of local railway officials, who have to deal with thousands of passengers, after the death of a senior railway official a few days back?
Railway authorities have taken several preventive measures to keep the morale of railway officials high, particularly after the death of the senior railway official. The health department team has stepped up the process of conducting random sampling of officials from several departments, along with doing contact tracing of carriage and wagon department officials, who came in touch with the deceased senior official.
What about the proposal of providing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to ticket checking staff, which are dealing with passengers and are prone to get affected with the virus?
Northern Railway has begun the procurement process from the headquarters and it will be delivered from the railway board house to all ticket checking staff after getting proper sanction from high command officials. Although, railway authorities have already started delivery of the same to the ticket checking staff deputed in Delhi and Mumbai railway stations, wherein cases are on the rise at a much greater rate.
How long will the Railways take to install the automated ticket checking and managing access system at the Ludhiana railway station?
It’s a step by step process to complete the installing of the automated ticket checking and managing access system at the city railway station. The ministry has taken this initiative to restrict the impact of Covid-19 virus among ticket checking staff of major station in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Once the work of installing these machines in major stations is completed, the facility would be made available to stations like Ludhiana. The railway station here witnesses far lesser rush of passengers as compared to the two abovesaid stations due to lesser number of regular trains.
What happened to the plan of having isolation coaches at the city railway station for Covid patients?
Northern Railway authorities have built more than 317 isolation coaches to strengthen the medical service in various cities of the northern region of the country. Although the Railways has identified the city station as a potential emergency hospital for stationing the modern isolation coaches but dates are yet to decided. The coaches will be positioned when the cases increase to a great extent and authorities find the need for for advanced medical infrastructure to safeguard the life of affected people.
What kind of patients will be admitted in these Covid-19 coaches?
The Railways will make the use of special coaches for mild/very mild patients that can be assigned to clinically basic Covid-19 care centres as per the guidelines of the ministry of home affairs. The coaches may be used in the areas where the state has exhausted the facilities and is looking to augment the capacity for isolation of both suspected and confirmed csases.
Is there any plan to appoint an officer from the Railways for coordinating with the state government or hospital?
The authorities concerned have appointed two officers for coordinating with the state government around the clock for better services to railway officials who will get affected with the virus during duty hours. One officer is for maintenance and support service and another for keeping in touch with doctors. There will be a mini control room at the station, which will be connected to the headquarters for fulfilling the emergency needs of passengers and railway officials during travelling.
Are the Railways upgrading their regional centre for providing better healthcare service to railway colony employees who are also affected with the virus?
Railway authorities have tied up with some of big private hospital in cities for catering to the health to railway employees and their families residing in railway colony. They have done so as spending time on re-developing health infrastructure will not prove beneficial at this stage. So, they have taken the help of professional medical staff of some of big hospital of cities for providing better healthcare service to all officials who will get affected with virus during their duty hours.