NAGPUR: With the second wave declining in the city, the Nagpur division of Central Railway (CR) has put on hold its Covid Care Centre (CCC) in 11 railway coaches.
“On June 4, NMC asked us to withhold the facility owing to fall in the number of cases.
Hence, we have withdrawn the facilities like power, water coolers, pandal, sheets etc that were installed to operate the coaches,” said Jay Singh, additional divisional railway manager (ADRM).
“We will reinstall these facilities as and when needed by NMC.
The 11 coaches have been stationed at the same spot at the erstwhile Inland Container Depot at Narendra Nagar,” the ADRM added.
Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B said, “As the facility was started on May 3, a fall in cases had already started and there was not much response.
Yet, as part of our preparedness, we had jointly launched the facility.
If needed, we will demand to restart it.
It was a nice learning experience.” Official sources said in one month, only 24 Covid positive patients availed the benefit of the facility.
Putting it for more period would have added to recurring expenses.
These coaches have the capacity to treat 176 patients.
Sources said another reason to close the facility was that the contract for various facilities provided in the coaches was till June 10.
If the facility had stayed, the Central Railway contract will have to be extended putting a financial burden.
Secondly, the coaches have been put on a siding which is still in use for transporting goods like foodgrains, tractors, sand etc.
Though there is no immediate commercial impact, in the long-term it will hit railway revenue.