Healthcare train: the convoy to transfer and treat patients during emergencies

Rome, 8 March 2021

The healthcare train is a convoy that facilitates the transfer and treatment of patients with dedicated healthcare personnel in the carriages fitted out with specific medical equipment.

The convoy, which will be used to serve Italy following emergencies and disasters, was produced by Trenitalia (FS Italiane Group) in the Periodic Maintenance Workshops of Voghera in collaboration with the Civil Protection Department and the Agenzia Regionale Emergenza Urgenza della Lombardia (AREU, being Lombardy’s Regional Emergency Agency).

The train can serve to transport patients to other areas of Italy or abroad in order to relieve pressure on local hospital facilities, as well as presenting a means of integrating with the Italian healthcare service to manage emergencies, whereby used as an Advanced Medical Post.

Utilisation of the train has been defined in an agreement signed by Trenitalia, the Civil Protection Department and the AREU.

A description of the train

The train consists of eight carriages and two locomotives positioned at each end of the convoy.

 The carriages are divided as follows:

• three healthcare carriages with intensive care beds for heavily ventilated patients;
• two technical carriages necessary for operating medical equipment and, in particular, to accommodate generators that create an independent system for powering the healthcare equipment;
• two coaches, one with beds for staff and the second designed for the technical and healthcare coordination and for the filter area necessary for the transition between the clean area and the operating area;
• a storage carriage for transporting all medical materials and devices.

 

Main features of the train

The convoy has been designed to offer a level of healthcare up to intensive care, even with biocontainment, with the possibility of integrating other carriages with additional medical-healthcare functions.

Each of the three healthcare carriages can host up to seven patients, totalling 21 available places. These carriages are managed by specialised healthcare, technical-logistics and management personnel, with up to 45 operators.

Healthcare equipment

The train has the basic equipment necessary to handle any type of emergency or disaster as follows:

• 21 pulmonary ventilators;
• 1 ultrasound machine;
• 2 blood gas analysers;
• 21 monitors, aspirators and other equipment;
• 3 monitoring stations.