How to convert a train to COVID isolation unit/hospital?

The healthcare industry is growing at a very faster pace, owing its strengthening coverage, services and increasing expenditure by public as well as private players. COVID-19 virus has bought the whole world and India, to its knees, to minimize it, our healthcare workers, and every public service is working consistently to reduce its impact on this country.

Countries that are affected by covid-19 and increasing in number of covid-19 patient and are running low in availability of hospital beds can convert the hotels, stadium, hall or trains into covid-19 isolation/hospital. Converting train into covid-19 isolation/hospital is one of the best ideas. As the trains in lockdown will not be working instead of that can be utilized in converting it into covid-19 isolation/hospital. There will be a lots of changes need to be done to convert a train into covid-19 isolation/hospital. Precautionary measures need to be taken to convert a train into covid-19 isolation unit.

Indian Railways has taken a step further in the treatment process of coronavirus patients by setting up mobile coaches, specially designed for COVID-19 patients. In Indian a normal without AC coach contains 9 cabins in it. Each cabin needs to have 1 bed for patient. It means 9 beds in 1 coach. The cabins need to be sanitised after each patient is discharged after performing 3 tests with negative results. No need of changing the floorings as it already has the vinyl flooring. Measures need to be taken to be infectious free. The Indian railways have put up the nets so that the mosquitoes cannot enter the coach. Bamboo based sheets are been used to cover the coaches, as it may not be hot inside.

Approx time required to setup an isolation unit is 1month for 5000 coaches. The Indian railway has begun converting the coaches into isolation units for almost 20000 coaches. This means a total of 180000 could be cared. So the time required to setup 20000 coaches’ approx. will be 4 months.

To convert a train into isolation/hospital additional requirements are as follows:

Each cabins needs to be installed with extra high volt power supply switches, so that any high voltage machines can be plugged in. mobile charging point must be installed as the patient might require to charge its mobile.

The cabins should be installed with plastic curtains. The curtains need to be sterilised as the infection might spread to others.

The toilets in the train can be converted into bathroom for the necessity of taking bath. The patient will require a bathroom. The bathroom needs to be equipped with hot water facility. 1 coach of Indian trains consists of 4 toilets from which 2 can be converted into bathrooms. The bathroom facility can be given by installing showers, bucket and mug.

The covid-19 trains should also have ventilators so that it can fulfil the needs in emergency situations.

The coach needs to be named with covid-19 Isolation train.

At the entrance of each door there should be sanitizers installed.

The 2 tier and the 3 tier AC coaches can be customised into ICU with fully equipped monitors for monitoring the patients parameters.

Each beds in the train must have sanitizers, with the chart that consist of hand movements

IV fluid stand should be placed in each cabin, a bedside small table should be given and oscilloscope monitor and suction apparatus needs to be setup.

Nurse’s cabin needs to be set upped with the PC’s and all the required equipment's needed to treat the covid-19 patients. The equipment used to test the covid-19 needs to be placed in the nurses cabin.

The bed sheets to be used to cover the beds and extra sheet to cover the body and cushions need to be provided. The sheets and covers used needs to be sterilized after the use. As the infection can be transmitted to others.

Proper waste management techniques must be used to dispose the waste. Should have a close observation that anything is not littering in the coaches as it can infect.

Side births can be removed for easy movement of stretcher.

Proper security needs to be maintained in the movable train.

The pantry cars converted to mobile kitchen to ensure supply to stations.

Conclusion:

The IRCTC has already begun working on it. India is the first country to plan and start building train coaches into isolation ward. Converting of train into isolation unit/ hospital. The train converted into covid-19 isolation unit/hospital is a movable. Is the best idea as it can serve the facility throughout the boundaries of the country. These services can be provided to the rural areas where they do not have the accessibility of healthcare.

SOURCE : HOSPACCX HEALTHCARE CONSULTING PVT. LTD.