Expanding Surgical Care Capacity in Gaza with a Rapid Mobile Surgical Unit

Mid-September 2024, we were able to deliver an impactful solution for One4Humanity and International Medical Corps (IMC). We have provided a Rapid Mobile Surgical Unit (RMSU) for deployment in Gaza. The RMSU, made possible by One4Humanity and donors, will be adjoining the IMC field hospital. It will expand the field hospital’s capacity to perform 8 to 10 additional life-saving surgeries every day.

The Rapid Mobile Surgical Unit consists of a standard shipping container converted into an Operating Room. The container including the OR is connected to a sluice and Hospitainer Inflatable Building (HIB) that holds the pre- and post-OR room and the scrub and sterilization area. The Hospitainer Inflatable Building (HIB) is an innovative type of tent that has walls of drop-stitch material, making the walls rigid and straight. Due to this innovation, the tent has no lost spaces due to sloping roofs. Improved insulation, resulting in less energy usage and a more comfortable tent for patients and staff in general.
The RMSU included all relevant (medical) equipment needed to operate an Operating Room, pre-/post-OR, and sterilization and scrub area. The unit for example has an anesthesia machine including an oxygen concentrator, OT table, patient monitors, and patient beds. The RMSU can operate autonomously, as the solution includes a generator, air conditioning and heating, water tanks, pumps, and filtration.

One4Humanity recently had the opportunity to discuss the work they are doing on IrelandAM. In the Youtube-video on the left (from 38:00 minutes), they discuss the challenges involved in delivering a medical unit to Gaza and the critical role it will play in improving healthcare services. The medical container, tents, and all medical equipment are currently in transit. We are hopeful that this unit will soon be operational, providing much-needed support to save lives in Gaza.