Madurai
With the number of COVID-19 patients increasing every day in Madurai district, the first floor of Railway Hospital here was converted into a COVID-19 ward.
On Wednesday, 13 positive patients were admitted to the new ward.
The isolation ward has got 36 beds and another 11 beds are for quarantine facility, according to a railway official.
However, the Dakshin Railway Employees Union have expressed apprehension about the health safety of the railway employees, retired employees and their family members who take treatment on the ground floor of the Railway Hospital.
“Many aged people and pregnant women come here for treatment. We fear that the COVID-19 could infect as movement of positive people will be higher hereafter,” said its divisional secretary, R. Sankaranarayanan
However, a railway official clarified that the main entrance of the hospital has been provided for the COVID-19 patients and government officials.
“The common entrance for first floor and ground floor has been sealed. Railway employees have a different entrance at the backside through the outpatient ward,” he added.
Meanwhile, many of the offices on the first floor of Divisional Railway Manager’s office were sealed on Wednesday after a railway employee in the engineer branch tested positive.
The main entrance to the Divisional Office through TPK Road has been blocked for the railway employees.
They would enter through the Western Entry of the railway junction, an official added.
