S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Madras incubated startup company has designed a mobile hospital that can be installed in two hours time and just by four people.
IIT Madras incubated startup that has developed this mobile hospital is Modulus Housing. The video demonstration of this mobile hospital can be accessed here at this link ‘https://fromsmash.com/IIT-Madras-MediCAB-Demo‘
This work by IIT Madras incubated startup is a decentralised approach to detect, screen, indentify, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients in their place of stay itself throughthese portable microstructures.
The portable hospital of this IIT Madras incubated startup is called ‘MediCAB’ and has been launched in Wayanad district of Kerala in the recent past.
These units brought out by IIT Madras incubated startup are being put to use to treat corona virus patients.
There is more to it than meets the eye when it comes to the innovation of IIT Madras incubated startup.
IIT Madras incubated 2020
The MediCAB is foldable and is composed of four zones namely a doctor’s room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward and a twin-bed ICU, maintained at negative pressure.
This deployment in Kerala has been undertaken with grant funds from Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter.
The startup collaborated with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) who provided inputs on the certifications and customizations necessary for the project.
It is interesting to note that IIT Madras incubated startup ‘Modulus Housing’ came into being in 2018 through two students of IIT Madras.
This has even received the support of IIT Madras Incubation Cell. The IIT Madras incubated startup has the vision of revolutionising housing through modular prefab structures.
However the founders of Modulus Housing have repurposed their designs to help support the fight against corona virus.
Shreeram Ravichandran, Chief Executive Officer of the IIT Madras incubated startup 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.
It can be easily assembled in eight hours by four people.
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When folded, our collapsible cabins are reduced five-fold, making it very cost-effective for transportation, he said.
The CEO of the IIT Madras incubated startup further said 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 infrastructures that can be converted to hospitals, rural areas do not have a lot of infrastructure.
It is difficult to construct buildings from scratch as the requirement is immediate. As the rural population density is relatively low, more micro hospitals will help greatly in tackling COVID-19 cases, said the CEO of IIT Madras incubated startup.
Modulus is working on a Dual design where these can be rapidly launched as COVID-19 isolation wards.
Post-COVID-19, these can be transformed into micro-hospitals/clinics in Rural India where the medical infrastructure needs to be augmented.
IIT Madras incubated startup has set up its manufacturing unit at Chengalpet which is located about 35 kms from Chennai.
India has 0.7 beds per 1,000 persons. Innovations such as the MediCAB will help boost the healthcare infrastructural in India as it can be rapidly transported (Six units can fit in a truck).
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It can be deployed at any time and at any place. Speaking more about the innovation of IIT Madras incubated startup, Tamasvati Ghosh, CEO of IIT Madras Incubation Cell said they are very proud of our startups 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, they have quickly mobilized and repurposed their offerings in response to the situation and are striving to make a positive contribution to the nation’s anti-virus efforts.
IITM Incubation Cell continues to assist its startups through these challenging times and hopes that industry support will help them ramp up their efforts in a more meaningful way, said Tamasvati Ghosh.
Their flagship project, foldable cabins are modular, portable, durable, easy to set up and can be customised as per the requirements of the customer.
Such units have already been delivered to prestigious clients across sectors such as L&T, Tata Group, and Shapoorji, Selco, among others.
The Unique Selling Point (USP) of the MediCABS is that the IIT Madras incubated startup Modulus makes use of a novel technology of collapsible structures.
It comes equipped with a prefabrication modular technology and a telescopic frame that allows the model to be shrunk to 1/5th of its original size, which makes it convenient for storage and transportation.
Post-Pandemic, these cabins can be remodelled into micro-hospitals/clinics for rural places. They can be easily shifted and placed there.
IIT Madras incubated startup has already been operating in three sectors like construction and infrastructure, oil and gas and healthcare.
Modulus is also looking at expanding to sectors such as event management, tourism and the defence forces.