Health Ministry provides guidance for management of COVID cases admitted in Rail coaches

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday released a guidance document on the management of suspect/confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted in Railway coaches. The Ministry mentioned that Railway coaches shall be used as COVID Care Centres with the increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases. They shall accommodate suspect/confirmed COVID-19 cases having very mild or mild symptoms. As far as possible, only an individual cabin should be assigned for each case. The special train coaches will be cleaned and disinfected after formation.

These coaches can be placed only at 215 Railway stations. The states will send their requirements through their nodal officer to the Railways following which the allocation of coaches shall be made. Each state government will map at least one COVID dedicated hospital so that the patients admitted in the Railway coaches can be shifted there in case of an emergency. One basic life support ambulance with oxygen must be stationed at the station where such special coaches are placed. The Railways has been accorded responsibility for ensuring the provision for all items required in the COVID Care Centres. 

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Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India's Tally At 3,32,424; Recovery Rate Improves To 51.08%

Other guidelines

The staff deployed on the special train coaches would work under the supervision of the Chief Medical and Health Officer of the concerned district. Meanwhile, the Railways has been asked to make arrangements for regular watering of coaches, repairs, replenishment of Chlorine tablets, proper electricity connection to coaches, catering, security and rooftop insulation for coach temperature management. Moreover, the Environment Ministry has provided a one-time exemption from registration of train coaches for the purpose of generating hospital waste. 

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COVID-19 crisis in India

Currently, there are 3,32,424 COVID-19 cases in India out of which 1,69,798 patients have recovered while 9520 deaths have been reported. During the last 24 hours, 7419 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus propelling the country's COVID-19 recovery rate to 51.08%. As of now, 1,53,106 active cases are under medical supervision. The ICMR's testing capacity has been ramped up whereby the number of government and private labs has increased to 653 and 248 respectively. 1,15,519 samples were tested for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. A total of 57,74,133 samples have been tested for COVID-19 across various labs in the country. 

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