Indian Railways Plans To Manufacture Select Essential Medical Items At Its Production Facilities Across The Country

Adding weight to the nation's efforts to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Indian Railways is exploring the possibility of manufacturing select essential medical items such as hospital beds, medical trolleys and sanitisers at its various production units, reports The Hindu.

The Railway Board has asked the General Managers (GMs) at different production facilities of the Indian Railways to assess the feasibility of manufacturing such items in large quantities at a short notice and report to the Board the likely production rate in case of viability.

The Railway Board has underscored that the manufacturing capabilities of the Indian Railways needed to be harnessed at the time of the ongoing pandemic which has gripped the nation.

Apart from hospital beds, trolleys and sanitisers, the Board is also exploring the possibility of manufacturing ventilators, stretchers, hospital footsteps, washbasins with stands, PPEs like masks, and IV stands. It has also underscored that other items requiring sheet metal fabrication works, welding and machining could also be taken up for production by the Railways.