Union Health Ministry on Monday released guidelines for the appropriate management of suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Railway coaches turned COVlD-19 care centres.
Considering the increase in cases of COVID-19, Railway coaches were turned into COVID care centre, said Health Ministry. The ministry has asked that separate coaches for suspected and confirmed cases should be there to avoid cross infection.
"As far as possible, wherever cases are admitted in the COVID Care centre coach, preferably, individual cabin should be assigned for each case. If the situation warrants, up to a maximum of two confirmed patients can be assigned in individual cabin," it said.
The ministry has laid down the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Railway coaches which are converted into COVID Care centres, which requires Railways to designate state-wise nodal officers for allocation of trains and for coordinating with the respective State/UT Government.
As per the SOP, the Railways will share the list of their nodal officers, with the States/UTs while the States\UTs shall also designate a nodal officer for coordination with Railways.
Further, State/UTs would send their requisition through their nodal officer to the nodal officer of Railways following which the Railways will make allocation of these coaches to the State/UTs.
After the allocation by the Railways, the train shall be placed, at required station with necessary infrastructure, and handed over to District Collector/ District Magistrate or one of their authorized persons, it stated.
As per the guidelines, the state government shall map at least one COVID dedicated hospital for each train so that patient can be shifted to the hospital in case of emergency.
"When the train is handed back to Railways, the staff deployed for the train shall ensure,all biomedical waste bins are cleaned and emptied; the train cleaned and disinfected, and then handed over to authorized staff after tallying the inventory. The Railway staff shall again disinfect the train as per protocol issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time and lock it till further orders," stated the SOP.
According to the document, there are 215 railway stations where special train coaches converted to COVID care centres can be stationed.
( With inputs from ANI )