Railways, shut for first-time, asked to build more isolation coaches
The coronavirus pandemic has put a monumental strain on India's healthcare system, which was never at par with that of the developed countries. Faced with a crisis, the government is looking at temporary solutions, and turning railway coaches into isolation wards is one of them. With cases doubling every 4.1 days, these coaches haven't been enough, hence, the government wants Railways to build more.
What do India's COVID-19 numbers tell?
There has obviously been a sharp spike in coronavirus positive cases from the first week of March to the first week of April. The latest dispatch from the Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed that the positive cases have risen to 3,981, and 114 have died. India is also halfway through the unprecedented 21-day nationwide lockdown that started on March 25.
One event, hundreds of infections
The largest chunk of India's COVID-19 infections were traced to one event of the Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, that happened in March. After possibly getting infected from foreigners at the event, the Indian attendees traveled to their native places, spreading the virus to hundreds.
Coronavirus or not, India never had enough beds
It's important to note that even before the pandemic, India faced an acute shortage of hospital beds. According to OECD, India has 0.5 beds per 1,000 people. Most of these beds are present in the urban landscape. In places like Bihar, the situation is worse with only 0.11 beds available per 1,000 people. And West Bengal has 2.5 beds per 1,000 people.
20,000 old train carriages turned into movable wards
The network of Indian Railways, the fourth-largest in the world, and the largest employer in the nation came to a halt for the first time in 167 years due to lockdown. But the work hasn't stopped as 20,000 train carriages are being modified. Apart from housing 16 patients, each carriage will have a nurses' station, a doctor's cabin, and an area for medical equipment.
Railways asked to churn out more wards
A report in Indian Express said India plans to ready 4 lakh beds by April 30, as committees formed to deal with the pandemic predicted the situation could get worse. Buoyed by the same projection, Railways, which was till now turning 5,000 coaches into isolation units to keep 80,000 patients, was asked to churn out more. A formal order could be sent soon.
These coaches are the 'last line of defense'
"Isolation coaches will be deployed in the worst-case scenario as a last line of defense. Also, (they will be sent) if the requirement arises in remote areas where public health facilities cannot handle a growing number of positive cases," a source told IE.
Navodaya schools are also being used for isolation
Separately, Navodaya schools are being readied for isolation and other medical needs. Till now, 32 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) spread across 13 states have been used and more are being prepared. But this idea didn't sit well with Navodaya Vidyalaya Employees Association, which shot off a letter to HRD Ministry expressing concern about the staff and children's safety, who reside on the campus.
