Keeping the surging Covid cases in mind, Indian Railways has thrown open the doors of all railway hospitals for common people across the country.

Taking stock of the situation, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed senior officials of various zones and divisions to facilitate use of railway hospitals and health infrastructure for the general public.

The virtual review meeting of Covid preparedness was attended by Railway Board Chairman and CEO V K Tripathi, board members and senior officials of the Ministry of Railways along with general managers (GMs) and divisional railway managers (DRMs) of all zonal railways/production units.

Examining the existing infrastructure of railway hospitals and functioning of paediatric wards, Vaishnaw gave instruction for vaccination of children and railway staff including booster dose to frontline workers of the national transporter.

Giving nothing to chance, he also examined the availability of medicines, oxygen supply, zeolite stock and other necessary medical support and functioning of ventilators, liquid medical oxygen tanks, and other equipment which is critical in Covid treatment.

Besides commissioning of oxygen plants and launching an awareness campaign about the Covid, instructions were also issued for increasing the frequency of announcements at stations about masking up, sanitisation and other precautionary measures in the review meeting.

While 78 oxygen plants have already been commissioned, 17 are yet to be commissioned in the railways.

Focusing on Covid appropriate behaviour, it was decided to launch special drives to promote wearing masks and discouraging entry of people without masks at stations.