Coronavirus Outbreak: Railway begins thermal screening of passengers in running trains

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: With the Covid-19 cases crossing the 110 mark, the Indian Railways have started screening passengers in running trains. According to an official of Railway Ministry, the national transporter officials have started the screening of passengers inside the trains in Thiruvananthapuram with the help of the Kerala government.

The official said that the work of screening the passengers with thermal devices have been started with the help of state government. The official further said that the railway officials are also clearing the doubts of people on Covid-19.

Stay Alert, Stay Safe: Railways has started educating & alerting passengers inside trains in Thiruvananthapuram division along with screening them to effectively curb the spread of novel #Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/FenVScoX82

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) March 16, 2020

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Railways has set up a help desk to check the temperature of the passengers. The Railways has also kept sanitisers near the waiting lounge.

On Sunday, as a precautionary measure, Railways decided to remove the curtains from the air-conditioned coaches and decided not to provide blankets to the passengers travelling in AC coaches. The Railways also instructed the officials to disinfect the train coaches at proper frequency and clean the taps, pantry, toilets at regular intervals.

Coaches of long distance trains being cleaned & disinfected with disinfectant chemical at Bhavnagar, Veraval & Porbander in Bhavnagar Division. #CoronaVirusUpdates pic.twitter.com/dzl536DcPZ

— Western Railway (@WesternRly) March 14, 2020

East Coast Railway too has geared up its entire machinery in a big way to take comprehensive measures on prevention of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. ECoR has reportedly directed the Railway Medical Wing and Divisional Railway Managers to ensure that adequate prevention measures are put in place across the zone.

Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: Railways Withdraw Curtains, Blankets In AC Coaches

Control Rooms have been set up at important places over ECoR System and the staff have been sensitized and educated about the subject. The collaboration and coordination with the concerned health authorities is also being ensured.

Following action has been taken to guard against Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

• Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material (posters, banners and pamphlets) regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) are being prominently displayed for awareness of passengers and general public in local language at railway stations and in trains and are also being distributed to patients visiting hospitals, Railway colonies, Health units, hospitals and office buildings. Audio and video clips are being played at railway stations to spread awareness. Public announcements are being made at stations.
• In Railway hospitals, persons with fever are being separated from other patients. Separate counters/wards with specific signage for fever cases have been established. Medical staff has been deployed at such areas having proper protective gears.
• Railway hospitals have been provided with isolation beds for fever-related cases for treating suspected Coronavirus cases with the availability of necessary protective gears. Further, Railways has identified specific beds for quarantine at different locations across the country.
• Medical staff have been advised that if any patient of Coronavirus disease is suspected or reported in any of the Railway Hospital/Health Unit over ECoR System, the same may be informed to local health authorities immediately.
• All medical in-charges have been advised to be in constant touch with the respective State Authorities to obtain the guidelines/updates issued on the subjects and take necessary detection, prevention & curative measures suggested by such State Authorities.
• Control Rooms and Telephone helplines have been set up at all Railway hospitals.
• The Isolation/Quarantine Centre beds in the Railway premises would be utilised in consultation with local State Administration, whenever needed.
• Health Education Camps have been conducted in Railway settlement to create awareness among Railway beneficiaries.
• Training has been imparted to all health care workers regarding preventive strategies.
• Ten bedded Isolation wards, equipped with drugs and life-saving equipment, earmarked in Central Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Divisional Hospitals at Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam for suspected COVID cases.
• Blankets and curtains being removed from AC coaches as an extra precaution to keep safe and guard against the possible spread of any infection. Extra bed sheets will be provided on demand. This is an additional safeguard and a sanitizing measure.
• Special emphasis on continuously disinfecting coaches and toilets.
• Cleanliness and sanitation in station areas and Railway colonies being strictly monitored.

Also Read: India Offers $10 Million To SAARC For Fighting COVID-19

The Union Health Ministry said till Sunday night, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India were 110, including the foreign nationals. The total number of patients freed from the coronavirus has reached 13 in the country.

So far, two deaths have been reported in India, one each in Delhi and Karnataka, because of the deadly COVID-19.