GUWAHATI: Besides running goods and parcel train services to ensure an uninterrupted and seamless supply of goods and essential commodities during the lockdown, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has adopted a six-pronged strategy to boost the efforts of Central and State Governments in the fight against COVID-19.
The NFR has modified 315 passenger coaches as isolation coaches providing about 2500 isolation beds to make them available for the health authorities as and when required. It has also equipped the existing Railway Hospitals earmarking 170 beds as isolation beds, arranging for about 800-bed quarantine facilities and recruiting additional doctors & paramedics etc., to deal with any exigency.
The NFR has produced more than 2500 litres of hand sanitizer and nearly 76000 reusable face masks for use by its on-duty staff. Masks are being made by staff working from their respective home at various locations like Agartala, Alipurduar, Lumding, Silchar, Katihar, Tinsukia, Rangiya etc. and hand sanitizers are being produced in the various depots/ workshops. NFR is also making PPEs for its doctors and paramedic staff. Till date 407 PPE coveralls have been made.
NFR is making all out efforts to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities during the nationwide lock down and during this period more than 450 rakes have been in various parts of NE. NFR is also operating Parcel Express trains as per fixed time table timings towards Agartala (Tripura), Dibrugarh (Assam), Dimapur (Nagaland) and Mendipathar (Meghalaya) etc., to ensure transportation of essential goods in small quantity. More than 25 parcel trains have run till date in NFR to carry goods to every part of its jurisdiction as per requirement.
The workshops and sheds in NFR are making innovative hands free wash basins for use of staff at work places and repairing/ making hospital beds, side tables, hospital trolleys etc. as per requirement to prepare itself in the fight against COVID-19.