On paper, the plan to deploy railway coaches as COVID-19 isolation centres in the national capital appeared to be an innovative approach to dealing with the shortage of beds as cases of the viral infection continues to soar. However, on the ground, the searing heat in Delhi is proving to be a big hurdle in implementing the plan.
It would be especially difficult for healthcare care personnel, wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to work in the railway coaches in the oppressive Delhi heat.
The issue was highlighted when Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday inspected the 50 coaches that have been converted into isolation centres at Shakur Basti railway station. Sisodia had visited the railway station to see if the coaches-turned-isolation centres met normal working standards for the medical staff.
“A few days ago, Home Minister Amit Shah had promised that the Centre would provide special medical coaches to Delhi. We have been provided 50 coaches with 800 beds so far. I had gone to inspect these coaches, to check on the arrangements and if we can start sending in patients. But the soaring temperatures and the heat will make it problematic for our medical staff to operate while wearing heavy PPE kits,” Sisodia said.
He said the Delhi government was trying its best to come up with a solution to the problem of the coaches heating up so that it can begin deploying staff and admitting patients at these isolation centres.
Amongst the decisions taken at a meeting chaired by Shah on June 14 regarding the COVID-19 situation in Delhi, which was attended by all major stakeholders of the national capital, was that the Centre will provide the city with 500 railway coaches that can be used as isolation centres. This would provide Delhi with 8,000 COVID-19 beds.
