'Railway Production units to manufacture essential medical items,' says Piyush Goyal

Amid the increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the country, Indian Railways on Tuesday decided to use its production units and zonal railway workshops to manufacture essential medical items that can be used for the treatment of those affected by COVID-19. 

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday informed about the railways using its production units and Zonal railway workshops to manufacture essential medical items. 

United to Combat Coronavirus ⛑: In the wake of #COVID19, Railways has decided to utilise its Production Units & Zonal Railway Workshops to manufacture essential medical items which can be utilised for treatment of those affected in the pandemic 💉🩺 🛏 pic.twitter.com/4wn60RgKYt

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal)

READ | Railways to release full salary to lakhs of contractual workers during suspension of service

The Union Minister also posted a letter undersigned by A K Tiwari, Principal Executive Director, En & HM, which reads that in this "dire situation", the manufacturing capabilities of Indian Railways may be needed to be harnessed in order to combat this "scourge".

"It is noted that manufacturing facilities available in Indian Railway's production units and zonal railway workshops can be utilised for manufacture of items like simple hospital beds (without mattresses), medical trolleys for hospitals and quarantine facilities, IV stands, stretchers, hospital footsteps, hospital bedside lockers, wash-basins with stands, ventilators, PPEs like masks, sanitizers, water tanks, etc. Other items requiring sheet metal fabrication work, welding and machining can also be manufactured in these facilities based on an urgent requirement," the letter reads.

According to the letter, the production units and workshops may asses the feasibility to manufacture these items in large quantities (as may be required) at short notice. 

READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates: PM announces 21-day pan-India lockdown; COVID-19 cases cross 500

India sees a rise in COVID-19 cases 

According to the latest figure available on Tuesday, India has so far reported 539 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus. 10 people have so far died due to the deadly virus. Multiple states across the country have taken up measures to contain the spread of the virus and have ordered a complete lockdown at least till March 31, with an extension likely. 

READ | Coronavirus In India LIVE Tracker: Total cases, deaths, statistics, and state-wise breakup

READ | Indian railways explains 'seriousness' of Coronavirus situation with an analogy