Railway coaches to be turned into isolation wards for coronavirus patients

The Railways is conducting a feasibility study on using train coaches as isolation wards in India's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The railways has suspended operation of its passenger trains till April 14 and only freight trains are running round the clock to ensure the supply of essential commodities like food grain, milk, fruits and vegetables, sugar, edible oil and petroleum products.

The railways has nearly 60,000 passenger coaches that can be converted into quarantine facility to accommodate nearly one lakh patients.

In order to construct an isolation cabin prototype for the patients, the middle berth has been removed from one side of the coach while all three berths have been removed in front of the patient berth.

All ladders for climbing up the berths have also been removed. The bathrooms, aisle areas and other areas have also been modified to prepare the isolation coach.