india

Updated: Mar 28, 2020 13:08 IST

In a bid to battle the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the Indian Railways plans to transform train coaches into isolation wards for Covid-19 patients.

One prototype has been converted into the isolation ward now. If the prototype is finalised, the ministry is planning the same for every zone of railways.

10 railway coaches per week will be converted into isolation wards, news agency ANI reported.

One prototype has been converted into the Isolation ward now. If this is finalised, Railway is planning that in every zone of railways, 10 coaches per week will be converted into isolation ward: Indian Railways https://t.co/6dyI0CwfJs — ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2020

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.

To make the patient cabin, middle berth has been removed from 1 side, all 3 berths removed in front of patient berth, all ladders for climbing up the berths have been removed. The bathrooms, aisle areas and other areas have also been modified to prepare Isolation Coach. #Covid19 https://t.co/6dyI0CwfJs pic.twitter.com/aeXIMIzldc — ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2020

The government has upped its preparedness to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. Private laboratories have been roped in for bolstering the testing capacity in the country.

Approvals for diagnostic devices for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) can now be granted within seven to 10 days if necessary conditions are met, the country’s apex drugs and diagnostics regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said.

The government has also directed the states and Union territories to create a dedicated facility for Covid-19 positive cases. Close to 20 states have already started identifying hospitals that can be used to isolate and treat positive cases.

The government has also prohibited export of ventilators and has also asked two public sector undertakings to manufacture about 40,000 ventilator units to meet the demand in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. The number of coronavirus cases in the country jumped to 873 in the country on Saturday.