Mysore/Mysuru: With the number of COVID-19 positive cases rising by the day in the district, the Railway Hospital on KRS Road, opposite Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, has got ready to treat the infected patients. Likewise, the Rail Coaches at Railway Workshop in Ashokapuram too has got ready for patient care.

South Western Railway (SWR) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Priya Shetty said that if the State Government  seeks, the Railways has decided to allow the District Administration to use the Railway Hospital on KRS Road and the Rail Coaches at Ashokapuram Railway Workshop as COVID-19 treatment facilities. Following the request, the SWR has readied the Railway Hospital for COVID -19 treatment and the Rail Coaches at Ashokapuram Railway Workshop have been turned as care centres with bed facility.

The Rail Coaches can also be used as isolation wards, she said and added that the Railways is always ready to extend all kind of support to the State Government to tackle the deadly virus.

The Railways has readied about 50 Wards in the Railway Hospital for COVID-19 patient treatment purpose, with all necessary facilities and the Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical and House Keeping staff have been trained in patient care.

It  may be recalled here that DHO Dr. R. Venkatesh had visited the Hospital in the third week of March. With the Hospital having got readied, the district authorities have supplied hand sanitisers, face masks, Sodium Hypochlorite solution, bio-medical waste bag, PPE kits, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, centralised oxygen supply system, suction unit and other necessary  equipment.

As far as Railway Workshop is concerned, a total of 312 Railway coaches, including 120 of Mysuru Division, have been turned into COVID-19 isolation wards. Eight infected patients can be treated in each coach (Bogie). All the coaches have beds, toilet, Ventilator, a medical store room and a rest room.

However, the District Administration, despite the readiness of the Railways, has not yet requested the Department for taking over the Railway Hospital and Rail coaches for treatment of COVID-19 infections.

At present, COVID-19 infected patients are being  treated at the designated Hospital on KRS Road.

The District Administration has taken over the ESI Hospital on KRS Road, the shut down Vikram Hospital in Yadavagiri and the new Academic Block building of KSOU at Mandakalli as additional treatment facilities. 

Earlier, soon as the pandemic broke out in March, the District Administration had taken over the defunct B.M. Hospital on Hunsur Road for using it as a quarantine facility.