The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) and an IIT-Madras startup have developed microstructure hospital infrastructures which are modular, portable, and easy to set up, a Department of Science and Technology statement said on August 19.

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The portable infrastructure, 'MediCAB', has four zones -- a doctor's room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward, and a twin-bed ICU. "It can be easily transported and installed in any geographic locations and can be erected in just two hours with the help of four persons," the statement said. "Foldable, portable, pre-fab hospitals that are easy to assemble on-site quickly provide a compelling solution in case of pandemics, disasters and other contingencies," the DST Secretary said.

It has been developed by the Thiruvananthapuram-based SCTIMST, an institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with 'Modulus Housing', a startup incubated by IIT-Madras. It uses decentralised approach to detect, manage and treat COVID-19 patients in local communities through portable microstructures. So far, a 30-bed hospital has been set up at at Chengalpet in Chennai a cost of Rs 34 lakh. Another 12-bed hospital has been set up at a primary health care centre, at Waynad district's Varadoor in Kerala, the statement said.

The cabins in MediCAB are tightly sealed and dust-proof. It has in-built electricals, which are just plug-n-play. MediCAB can withstand harsh weather and heavy rains, it said. It comes equipped with a prefabrication modular technology and a telescopic frame that allows the model to be shrunk to one-fifth of its original size, making it convenient for storage and transportation. These portable units come in three sizes -- 200, 400, and 800 square feet and can be installed at a car park or the terrace of a hospital.