Italy – IFRC – 4 24 bed Covid Field Hospitals
Though vaccination programs have taken strides towards ending the pandemic, COVID-19 isn’t gone quite yet. In an effort to help, Hospitainer developed a modular, tent based COVID hospital that could provide treatment and quarantine for sick people. With these field hospitals, we hope to take some of the strain off overfilled hospitals.
Near the end of 2020, The Italian Red Cross approached Hospitainer with an order of several of these turn-key Hospitals. The Philips foundation, who had bought these Hospitals from Hospitainer previously, had apparently loaned two of them to the Italian Red Cross. These were so well-received, that the Italian Red Cross then decided to purchase several themselves.
The Hospital is comprised of 4 inflatable tents which offer space for up to 20 or 24 beds, depending on the layout. The tents have connecting modules that can act as antechambers or airlocks. Of course, Hospitainer isn’t just providing tents. Furniture like beds, tables, chairs, wastebins, etc, is included and so are wash basins and toilets.
The hospital also has its own generator, so electricity is no problem, and it even has four 10,000-liter water bladders (2 for wastewater and 2 for clean water). To keep things comfortable for both the staff and patients, we’ve even ensured all tents have their own air conditioning.
We set to work to get everything packed and to make some slight adjustments that the Italian Red Cross had requested, based on their experience with the borrowed hospitals. The tents and containers were also customized with the Red Cross’ logo, as requested. After a week, the first two Hospitals were packed and shipped, and the remainder were sent out a week later.
Once they reached the Italian Red Cross’ headquarters, they were spread across Italy, and they have been active in various places across the country since then, providing relief to both medical staff and patients.