New Delhi: Northern Railway celebrated Doctor’s day as the day is celebrate across the countey. In his message on Doctor’s Day General Manager Northern Railway, Ashutosh Gangal extended his best wishes to all the doctors and healthcare personnel. Speaking on the occasion Gangal said “today, when the nation is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors have worked tirelessly to save lakhs of lives. Observing that humanity will ever be indebted to doctors for their selfless and devoted service in keeping us healthy, the General Manager Northeren Railways said “novel mutations and waves of infection are bringing up newer challenges because the coronavirus pandemic has created a newer health care crisis throughout the world”.
Stating that doctors, Paramedics, Technicians and other healthcare workers are in the frontline battling the Covid-19 disease; they are putting themselves in the path of this virus treating and saving countless lives, General Manager Northern Railway said that the largest zone of the Indian Railways, has been in the forefront of the battle against this deadly disease supporting the nation through its endeavors.
“Railways are running special cargo trains for supply of food grains, medical items and other essentials throughout the country” said Ashutosh Gangal, adding that “more recently Oxygen trains have been regularly plying from NR for maintaining steady supply of Medical Oxygen to the affected cities and towns”.
Observing that liquid oxygen from industrial centres in Bokaro, Rourkela, Angul, Hapa, Vadodara and many have been speedily moved by mounted tankers through green corridors for this purpose, the General Manager Northern Railways said that 858 tankers and containers with 14,050 Metric tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen have been transported across NR.
Stating that several coaches have been converted under the guidance of medical experts to isolation coaches to be used as covid care facilities, the General Manager Northern Railways said that at present 530 coaches were placed at different locations throughout the zone, stating therein further that
NRCH (Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi ) the main referral hospital along with the Divisional hospitals were converted to covid care centers.
Revealing that additional diagnostic and ICU facilities were created to facilitate treatment of a large number of patients at a time, the General Manager Northern Railway said that 710 COVID Beds created in Railway hospitals over NR, stating therein further that with a surge of infected persons needing oxygen support in the second wave, ‘Rail Nivas’ in New Delhi was converted to a covid care centre in a record time to work as an extension of the Central Hospital.
Revealing that 4500 patients were admitted and provided treatment in hospitals over NR, Ashutosh Gangal said Northern Railway is the first Zonal Railway to start in house testing for detection of covid-19 infection though Truenat and Gene-xpert Machines at NRCH, stating therein further that around 30,000 RT-PCR tests have been done over NR till date.
In the concluding para of the above referred statement the General Manager Norther Railways said “the largest immunization drive in the world has been initiated in India launched by the hon’ble PM on 16th Jan’2021”, adding that Senior citizens, employees and their dependents in the age upto 18+ yrs are being “vaccinated since then in the hospitals under NR”, stating therein further that
“94,761 employees have already been administered the 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine, which stands at 75.80% of NR total strength”.