To cater the growing need of essential medical items in the wake of coronavirus epidemic, the Indian Railways has decided to manufacture hospital beds, stretchers, IV stands and ventilators.
“In the wake of pandemic Covid-19, the railway, in consultation with production units and zonal railway workshops, has decided to use its facilities, like Chittaranjan Loco Works, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Diesel Loco Works, Varanasi, and Rail Wheel Factory, Yelehanka, to manufacture these essential items” to help combat the pandemic, the Indian Railways said in a statement, on Tuesday.
The Railway Board has issued necessary instructions to the General Managers of these production units to explore the feasibility to manufacture items, like simple hospital beds (without mattress), medical trolleys for hospitals and quarantine facilities, IV stands, stretchers, hospital footsteps, hospital bedside lockers, washbasins with stands, ventilators, PPEs like masks, sanitizers and water tanks.
The ministry said the Railway Board had asked the General Managers to explore the feasibility in consultation with the chief medical officers (CMO) and manufacture these items in large quantities.
The coronavirus death toll in India rose to 10 on Tuesday and the number of affected persons was 500.
