On April 1, India had recorded 4,288 cases of Covid-19, including 117 deaths, according to John Hopkins University -- a relatively small number for a nation of 1.3 billion. While India's hospital system isn't overwhelmed yet, the repurposed trains could ease some of the pressure if the number of coronavirus patients begin to rise.America, Italy and Spain are witnessing the greatest number of COVID-19 infections. Doctors and nurses in Spain are in self-isolation and 14% of confirmed corona positive cases in the country are of medical staff. In Italy, the number is below 10%.

 

The doctors and other paramedical staff are worried that whether they may carry the virus home; the elderly and immune-compromised people and the others with comorbidities are at a higher risk. The doctors are taking maximum care so that they won’t become carriers. “Indian hospitals have been adequately equipped so far. The doctors and medical staff are well aware which is why they are taking all PPE and hygiene guidelines seriously. But controlling this pandemic needs the cooperation of the government and the public, which also includes medical staff. If a patient hides his/her history or symptoms, it will lead to more infections and situations like what happened at Ganga Ram where over 100 doctors have been quarantined.

 

However, we will need more PPE and more equipment in the coming weeks, because if hospitals start becoming spreaders of the contagion like it did in Italy, the situation could get much worse very quickly,” said Dr Dhiren Gupta, a senior consultant at New Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.