NEW DELHI: The Northern Railway has installed an alarm system in its isolation coaches at Shakur Basti to alert doctors of any emergency situation involving a patient, officials said on Thursday.
The Shakur Basti isolation coaches currently have five patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms, officials said.
They said that the mechanism was introduced after the Northern and North Central Railways General Manager Rajiv Chaudhry inspected the coaches and advised that an emergency alarm system should be installed in each of them.
"Applying their ingenuity, the railway engineers have developed a circuit system whereby each COVID care coach is being provided with an alarm bell. On the other end, a display board with light and sound connection against each coach number has been installed in the coach housing doctors and specialized medical staff," the Northern Railway said in a statement.
In case of emergency, as soon as the patient presses the emergency call bell, a red light fitted outside the coach will glow with a loud sound.
This will also be simultaneously displayed on the board installed in the doctor's coach, where the bulb against the coach number will light-up with an alarm sound.
This will enable the caregivers to immediately rush to the particular coach to attend to the sick person, it said.
On the demand of the Delhi government, the Northern Railway had placed 503 isolation coaches at nine stations of Delhi area for patients having very mild to mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
The Northern Railway will be responsible for the basic infrastructure and maintenance of the premises.
Cleaning and sanitization of platforms, providing housekeeping materials (Linen & blankets), management of bio-toilets, power and electric supply arrangements, watering, communication facilities, signage and marking of different areas will be provided by the railway.
Also, the oxygen cylinders in the coaches will be provided by the railway.
Besides, the railway will provide catering service in such coaches.
This will include meals three times a day and tea in the morning and evening.
The Railway Protection Force will provide security at the railway station premises and the platform area where the coaches have been placed.
The Delhi Police will be incharge of the security arrangements outside and adjoining areas of the station.
The coaches have been handed over to the local administration by the railways to be used as COVID care centre.
The identification, transportation, admission and discharge of the patients will be the responsibility of the Health Department of the state government.