New Delhi: Modulus Housing, a start-up supported by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, has developed a portable hospital unit called ‘MediCab’, which can be installed anywhere within two hours by just four people.
According to a statement by the start-up, ‘MediCab’ is a “a decentralized approach to detect, screen, identify, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients in their local communities through these portable microstructures”.
It was recently launched in the Wayanad district in Kerala where the units are being deployed to treat Covid-19 patients.
With healthcare infrastructure crumbling in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, this innovation can aid doctors and other healthcare workers.
According to data by the World Bank, India has only 0.7 beds per 1,000 people. However, the ‘MediCab’ can help bridge this massive gap. It is foldable and consists of four zones a doctor’s room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward and a twin-bed ICU, maintained at negative pressure.
It is well-equipped with 15 beds, a spacious area of 800 square feet and is fire, water and termite-resistant. The microstructure has built-in bathrooms and electrical exhausts with industrial dome, air conditioning, fans and lighting. Six such units can be transported in one truck and can be deployed at any time to any place.
Shreeram Ravichandran, Chief Executive Officer of Modulus Housing, said, “The outcome of this pilot project in Kerala will help in proving the applicability of the technology and advantages of micro hospitals, with MediCAB as an instant infrastructure solution. When folded, our collapsible cabins are reduced five-fold, making it very cost-effective for transportation.”
“Health infrastructure is crucial in fighting any pandemic. With a contagious disease such as COVID-19, it is essential to have smart health infrastructure to screen, contain and treat people. Unlike urban areas where there is plenty of existing infrastructure that can be converted to hospitals, rural areas do not have a lot of infrastructure,” Ravichandran added in a statement.
The creators of MediCab aimed for long-run usage of the design. Once the pandemic subsides and the threat is not as fatal, these facilities can also be transformed into micro-hospitals or clinics to be set up in rural India.
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About Modulus Housing
The IIT Madras Incubation Cell’s start-up was launched in 2018 by two IIT alumni and aims to revolutionise housing through modular structures.
Lauding their efforts, IIT Madras Incubation Cell’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tamaswati Ghosh, said, “We are very proud of our start-ups who are working on a range of products that are vital to India’s fight against COVID-19, from N95 masks, ventilators, affordable testing kits to portable hospital infra.”
“IITM Incubation Cell continues to assist its start-ups through these challenging times and hopes that industry support will help them ramp up their efforts in a more meaningful way,” she added.
With its manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpet — 35 kilometers from Chennai — their flagship project of modular cabins have already been sold to L&T, Tata Group, Shapoorji and Selco, among others.
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