–Railway hospitals across the country to treat its employees
RAWALPINDI: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday said Pakistan Railways had completed all the arrangements to resume the train operation which was suspended due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Talking to media persons here at the Rawalpindi Railway Station after receiving a consignment of masks and hand sanitisers donated by China Railway Company he said that 142 trains would be back on the track within 24 hours once Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announces to end the lockdown.
He inspected the quarantine center set up in coaches at the railway station and directed the authorities concerned to remain alert to deal with any emergency situation.
“Special quarantine centres were set up in the coaches of 40 trains,” he said, further informing that Pakistan Railways brought over 165,000 passengers from Karachi on trains till the last operational day whereas maintenance and repair work of all coaches and locomotives will be during the suspension of train operations as the railway staff was working day and night to complete the task.
The railway minister thanked the China Railway Group for donating 5,000 masks and sanitisers for CDL Workshop and Carriage Factory workers. “These will be distributed among railway labourers and workers to ensure their safety against the coronavirus,” he said.
He said that precautionary measures had been adopted at all railway stations of the country against coronavirus and special quarantine gates had also been installed at the railway stations.
“We have also ordered the purchase of 12 to 14 more ventilators for isolation centres while all railway hospitals across the country would be available to serve its employees in the wake of the coronavirus situation,” he added.
Sheikh Rashid said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was striving hard to provide relief to the citizens during these testing times.
The minister concluded by saying that even developed countries with strong economies were struggling against the coronavirus pandemic, but assured that the Pakistani government, despite its limited resources, was tackling the issue boldly through effective planning and timely measures.
