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Guwahati, April 21 (PTI): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has adopted a six-pronged strategy to strengthen health infrastructure and increase supply of essential commodities in order to supplement the efforts of the Centre and the state governments to tackle the coronavirus crisis, an official said on Tuesday.
The NFR has modified 315 passenger coaches to isolation facilities with about 2,500 beds, which will be made available to the health authorities as and when required, its chief public relations officer Subhanan Chanda said.
"As the NFR serves the northeastern states as well as parts of West Bengal and Bihar, it has taken a six-pronged strategy to live up to the expectations of people during this critical time," he said.
The railway division has been "contributing to reinforce the health infrastructure, transporting of essential commodities to avoid shortages, humanitarian efforts, connecting to 'Arogya Setu', lending a helping hand through innovation and caring for its employees".
The NFR has also equipped the existing railway hospitals with 170 isolation beds and quarantine facilities to cater to the need for Covid-19 patients, besides recruiting additional doctors and paramedics to deal with the situation, he said.
Chanda said the NFR is making all-out efforts to ensure that there is "no shortage of essential commodities like sugar, salt and edible oil during the lockdown".
During this period, more than 450 rakes have been unloaded at different sheds located in various parts of the north-east region and the NFR is also operating parcel express trains, he said.
Chanda said the railway division has provided more than 85,000 free meals till date to needy people during the ongoing lockdown.
More than 88 per cent of the employees of the railway and their families have downloaded 'Arogya Setu app', he said.
The NFR has made innovative hands-free washing basins at various workplaces and produced more than 2,500 litres of hand sanitiser and nearly 76,000 masks for use of its staff.
The NFR is making personal protective equipment for its doctors and paramedic staff in its workshops, he added.