Visakhapatnam: Waltair Division springs into action to combat COVID

Visakhapatnam: Soon, passengers and visitors entering and exiting the railway station in Visakhapatnam will be screened with non-contact infrared thermometers.

As the number of coronavirus cases crossed 145 and the deaths around the world came close to 8,000, East Coast Railway (ECoR) pulls out all the stops to accelerate its preparedness in combating the spread of the virus.

While a requirement of 200 infrared thermometers has been raised by the railway authorities, about 150 are expected to arrive shortly. Already, two such infrared thermometers are being used at the Divisional Railway Manager's (DRM) office for the staff.

Those making their way into the DRM office are not only being tested with infrared thermometers but asked to use the hand wash facility set up on the premises.

Apart from the two hand wash facility at the DRM office, few more such facilities will be set up for the passengers at various platforms.

"Waltair Division is the first to introduce helpdesk in the East Coast Railway. The frontline staff and the employees of various departments have been sensitised about coronavirus and the precautionary steps to be taken to keep the virus at bay. They in turn create awareness to maintain hygiene among passengers," explains Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, DRM.

At present, a 122-bedded quarantine facility has been facilitated for Covid-19 suspect cases in three districts, covering Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. In case of any emergency, the railway officials mentioned that they can increase the beds to 950 for the isolation purpose. As a part of the preventive measure, the supply of bedroll to the passengers in air-conditioned coaches has been stopped and curtains have been removed.

Focus is also on the upkeep of the coaches and various places used by the passengers such as elevators, railings by spraying disinfectants at regular intervals. Refresher training course for the railway staff has been put off. Safety measures are being advocated among the residents staying in railway colony.

Railway doctors too have been trained in New Delhi to treat the Covid-19 suspects. In addition, employees at the railway station were asked to arm themselves with masks or cover themselves with a hanky. Some of the entry and exit points will be restricted in Visakhapatnam next. "The step has been taken to ensure that the passengers will not slip away through any of these points without getting screened," said G Suneel Kumar, senior divisional commercial manager, Waltair Division.

A 24/7 cell has been dedicated to help share information about the virus. Along with public announcements, visitors and passengers will also be sensitised about the infection through audio and video clips.

Visakhapatnam is one of the major railway stations in Andhra Pradesh. On a regular basis, the station registers 50,000 to 60,000 footfalls a day. During peak season, the footfalls will increase to more than a lakh per day. Since there is a heavy movement in the premises, the railway officials say efforts are being made to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In order to bring down the number of visitors accompanying the passengers, ECoR, Waltair Divsion has increased the platform ticket from Rs.10 per person to Rs 50 at four stations of the division.