NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MAY 18
All 86 of railways’ COVID hospitals will soon have oxygen plants of their own, the national transporter said on Tuesday.
A statement from the ministry said that it was planning a massive capacity enhancement in 86 railway hospitals across India which have been identified as COVID hospitals.
Massive capacity enhancement is being undertaken in Railway hospitals for medical emergencies.
💠 Railways set to have 86 Oxygen plants
✴️ COVID-19 treatment beds increased from 2,539 to 6,972
✳️ Invasive ventilators increased from 62 to 296
📖 https://t.co/GCyLnQLVfS pic.twitter.com/Fobt2fuP5A
— Piyush Goyal (मोदी का परिवार) (@PiyushGoyal) May 18, 2021
While four oxygen plants are already functional, 52 have been sanctioned and 30 are under various stages of processing.
‘All railway COVID Hospitals to be equipped with oxygen plants,’ it said.
General Managers’ of zonal railways have been delegated further powers upto Rs 2 crore in each case for sanctioning oxygen generation plants, it said.
A series of measures have been initiated for the treatment of rail staffers and their families.
To support the #medical #infrastructure at our Hospitals, the Electric Loco Shed at Vijayawada has developed in-house 10 nos Oxygen flow meters.
They can be assembled in 1hr & make it ready for usage. The same have been tested at Rly Hospital #Vijayawada #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/Hz5P2xorOH
— South Central Railway (@SCRailwayIndia) May 18, 2021
The number of beds for COVID treatment has been increased from 2,539 to 6,972. The ICU beds in COVID hospitals have been increased from 273 to 573.
Invasive ventilators have been added and their number has been increased from 62 to 296.
‘Constant efforts are being made to add critical medical equipment like BIPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders etc in railway hospitals. The railways have also issued instructions that COVID affected employees may be admitted to empanelled hospitals on referral basis as per need.
‘This massive capacity enhancement in railway hospitals would usher in better infrastructure to handle medical emergencies,’ the railways said.
Around 2,000 railway employees have so far lost their lives to COVID with about 1,000 getting infected daily, according to official data. So far, around 4.32 lakh rail employees have been vaccinated.
2 Oxygen generators planned for Perambur Railway Hospital
In Southern Railway, 2 oxygen generators are planned for setting up in Southern Railway Headquarter hospital at Perambur, one each in old and new building.
All Divisions with Divisional Railway hospital facility shall progressively process for setting up of Oxygen generators wherever there is feasibility.
Railway hospital, Perambur has increased the number of beds to 280 beds for COVID treatment. Of which, 49 beds are ICU beds. During the first wave of COVID pandemic there were 90 beds reserved for COVID treatment, according to a release from CPRO B. Guganesan.
