Once the pandemic is over, these portable units can be converted into micro-hospitals. (Pic courtesy: Modulus Housing)&
Key Highlights
- The portable health facility could be installed within two hours by four people.
- The portable unit is called ‘MediCAB’ and is aimed decentralising the approach to fight COVID-19
- ‘MediCAB’ have been deployed in Waynad district of Kerala to treat COVID-19 patients.
Chennai: In a major breakthrough, a startup backed by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has developed a mobile hospital unit that can be used as isolation centre or for treating COVID-19 patients.
The portable health facility could be installed within two hours by four people, the IIT-Madras said in a statement.
According to a report in New Indian Express, the portable unit is called ‘MediCAB’ and is aimed decentralising the approach to COVID-19 at the local level.
According to the institute, these ‘MediCAB’ have been deployed in Waynad district of Kerala to treat COVID-19 patients. The startup Modulus Housing is also developing micro-hospitals that can be deployed rapidly anywhere in the country.
The startup Modulus Housing was founded by two IIT-alumni in 2018. The startup is supported by the Incubation Cell of IIT-Madras.
The ‘MediCAB’ is collapsible and comprised of four zones including a doctor’s cabin, an isolation room, a medical ward and a two-bed ICU ward. All the room/wards are maintained at negative pressure.
The ‘MediCAB’ is made with prefabricated structures and telescopic frame that allows the portable unit to shrink to one-fifth of its actual size. This makes the unit easy to transport and cost-effective.
The report also suggests that Modulus Housing is working on a design where the units can be rapidly deployed as isolation wards for COVID-19 patients.
RELATED NEWS
Once the pandemic is over, these portable units can be converted into micro-hospitals and deployed to rural areas lacking medical infrastructure.
The statement from IIT-Madras said, “India has 0.7 beds per 1,000 persons. Innovations such as the MediCAB will help boost the healthcare infrastructure in India as it can be rapidly transported.”
According to Shreeram Ravichandran, CEO of Modulus Housing, “The startup has repurposed its modular prefab structure designs that are basically meant for housing to fight COVID-19 pandemic.”
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/chennai/article/hospital-on-wheels-iit-madras-backed-startup-develops-mobile-health-facility-to-treat-covid-19-patients/623285
