India is deploying makeshift rail carriage hospitals as thousands of coronavirus patients scramble for beds and medicine following a brutal second wave.
On Monday, India declared a record 273,000 new cases of Covid-19, taking the country’s total to 15 million since the start of the pandemic in January 2020.
Several states and cities are witnessing distressing shortages of hospital beds and medicine, forcing authorities to set up temporary hospitals in hotels, auditoriums, schools and railway yards.
Distressed families flooded social media with pleas for hospital beds, oxygen supplies and drugs for sick relatives.
Authorities refurbished 5,000 state-owned Indian Railways train carriages into field hospitals in March 2020 to treat Covid-19 patients suffering from mild to moderate symptoms.
At the time, many of the ‘hospitals-on-wheels’ were surplus to requirements as strict lockdown measures saw a dip in cases, but the carriages will now see patients admitted.
Indian Railways normally operates 20,000 passenger trains daily, carrying 23 million people across the country on its 115,000- kilometre rail network, the world’s second-largest after China, but quickly pivoted to offer Covid-19 carriage wards and oxygen services.
The trains are being kept at depots and will be driven to stations in cities and towns where required.
The trains have patient beds, cabins for medical staff, bathrooms and power points for medical equipment. Patients will also be provided with water coolers as temperatures approach the annual peak in May.
Indian Railways has so far deployed 169 of its 3,800 converted coaches as case numbers rise.
In Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit state, railway companies deployed 94 Covid-19 care coaches in the northeastern city of Nandurbar. So far, 20 patients have been admitted.
In India's capital city New Delhi, 75 Covid-19 isolation coaches with more than 800 beds are ready to be deployed, railway minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.
The city, with a population of 20 million, is recording over 25,500 cases every day and has less than 100 intensive care beds available, the city’s top minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, as he announced a week-long lockdown in the city.
"We have been receiving requests for the deployment of these coaches. We have 3,800 such coaches ready and can deploy at anywhere in the country," Indian Railways executive director Rajesh Dutt Bajpai told The National.
“The railways is taking care of cleanliness, meals and oxygen cylinders whereas the hospitals associated with state governments where the trains are stationed have the responsibility for doctors, paramedics and medicines,” Mr Bajpai added.
Mr Bajpai said the coaches are meant for patients with mild symptoms who do not require ICU beds or ventilators, adding that only hospitals can admit patients.
The railways are also running a special ‘Oxygen Express’ to transport liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders to different parts of the country, said Mr Goyal.
The continued spread of the disease has pushed India into second place on an ominous leaderboard of nations with the most cases, behind the US.
It is hoped the train carriages will alleviate a health system pushed to breaking point. Hospitals, large and small, are running out of space and equipment, with patients having to share beds and oxygen cylinders as they gasp for breath and await treatment.
Videos on news channels have shown desperate families waiting outside hospitals, while Covid-19 patients are being kept in ambulances and private vehicles as doctors struggle to find beds and oxygen facilities.
The world’s fourth-largest economy spends only 3.5 per cent of its GDP on public healthcare, with a large section of the population deprived of basic medical care as they cannot afford private hospitals.
The country has just 23,582 state-run hospitals with 710,761 beds for its 1.3 billion people: a ratio of one bed per 1,844 people, according to World Bank data.
It also has a shortage of doctors, with one doctor for every 1,457 people – lower than the World Health Organisation norm of one per 1,000.
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New schools in Dubai
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
