Construction of modular hospitals

As a protective measure against Covid cases or the impending third wave of the virus, the Centre has decided to swiftly give a boost to the state health infrastructure by constructing 50 innovative modular hospitals throughout the country within the next couple of months.

The modular hospitals shall be constructed next to the existing hospital building and shall serve as an extension of the operational infrastructure. Within the next three weeks and at a cost of Rs 3 crore, a 100 bedded modular hospital consisting of a dedicated zone of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is feasible to construct. This can be fully operational within 6-7 weeks.

The office of the principal scientific adviser K Vijay Raghavan has started the project and shall start its service in state-run and philanthropic hospitals in the initial stage. These rapidly deployable hospitals are set up to cover up the loophole in the health infrastructure in India in fighting against the virus, specifically in rural areas and tiny towns.

A member of the industry-academia collaboration division in the principle scientific adviser’s office, Aaditi Lele reported to TOI, “Any government hospital, having basic facilities such as electricity and water supply, and oxygen pipeline, will be eligible to have a modular hospital attached to it. We have been in touch with state governments to identify the requirement, specifically in states where a higher number of cases are reported. We also have reached out to multiple partners to execute projects through corporate social responsibility support.”

The initial batch of 100 bed modular hospitals shall be ordered to construct in Bilaspur (Chattisgarh); Amravati, Pune and Jalna (Maharashtra) and Mohali (Punjab) and a 20 bed hospital in Raipur (Chattisgarh). In the initial stage, Bengaluru shall have one 20 bedded, one 50 bedded and one 100 bedded hospital.

These hospitals are functional for nearly 25 years. They can swiftly be dismantled and shifted to other places within a week.

Modulus Housing, a start-up developed in IIT Madras is providing design and concept. The company has already started putting into action the MediCAB extension hospitals in collaboration with the American Indian Foundation.

The government in collaboration with Tata Projects Ltd shall deploy the modular hospitals in areas of Punjab and Chhattisgarh. They have already started working on the 48 bedded modular hospitals in Gurdaspur and Faridkot in Punjab. ICUs in hospitals of Raipur, Jashpur, Bemetara, Kanker and Gaurella in Chattisgarh are getting expanded.