Mobile Health Clinics and Medical Centers Made from Shipping Containers

COVID-19 and the Shortage of Healthcare Facilities

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and healthcare facilities across the globe have been facing incredible difficulties.

• As of 22nd June 2020, the worldwide COVID-19 cases exceeded 9,067,906, and countries are not sufficiently equipped to handle such a sizable number of cases. Hospitals are facing a shortage of beds and care wards.
• According to studies, Germany has 33.9 ICU beds per 100,000 people, Portugal has 4.2, while Bangladesh has a mere 0.72. Italy, one of the worst-affected countries, has just 12.5 beds per 100,000 people.
• Europe, as a whole, has an average of 11.5 beds per 100,000 people. The United States, on the other hand, has an average of 28 beds per 100,000 people.

The outbreak has caused most of these beds to be occupied for long periods of time, leaving little to no availability for other patients who require immediate medical attention and care. Shipping containers serve as an excellent solution in these situations.

The Solution

The use of shipping containers is not limited to just storage, handling, and transportation. In keeping with their versatility, shipping containers can be converted into mobile clinics, medical centers, and hospitals in remote areas during health crises and for disaster relief.

They are customizable and can be transformed into biocontainment isolation wards, check-up centers, or surgical rooms and emergency rooms, depending on the requirements. These  mobile clinics are quick to assemble and disassemble. Because they are made from shipping containers, they are flexible and easy to move from one place to another via road, rail, and ship. They can be used as standalone facilities or multiple container “wards” can be connected by inflatable hallways to design a mobile hospital.

Benefits of Using Mobile Clinics Made From Shipping Containers

• Mobile shipping containers are already pre-designed and pre-built. Compared to the long wait time on traditional construction projects, which could take up to a few months to complete, container clinics can be set up in just a couple of days.
• They can be custom designed with add-ons such as electrical fixtures, insulated walls, shelving and storage, plumbing, lighting and flooring. The same shipping container can be reused and restructured to suit different needs over a varied range of medical services too.
•  Shipping containers can be deployed  to off-grid areas with the help of solar panels. 
•  The container clinics are capable of being fully operational within just a few days of deployment. This saves you time in the face of a crisis.
•  Made from Corten steel, shipping containers are extremely durable and can withstand severe conditions, making them both safe and reliable.
•  They offer outstanding protection against extreme weather conditions, fire, temperature variations, and wear and tear from handling and shipment. They are also cost-effective and secure, with relatively low maintenance costs.
•  Thanks to their portability, these mobile medical centers can be moved to even remote areas that are far from hospitals and healthcare facilities and can make medical care accessible. Because these shipping containers can contain all the equipment and instruments required for the clinic, they can be transported easily and quickly at low costs. They can be used for storage, shipment and medical care.

This idea of using shipping containers as mobile clinics has already been implemented. The first COVID-19 intensive care units called the Connected Units for Respiratory Ailments, or CURA, have been installed at a hospital in Turin, Italy. These are made from shipping containers, developed by the Italian design company Carlo Ratti Associati in collaboration with MIT and help aid the pandemic-struck country to treat more patients.

How We Can Help

If you are looking to install mobile clinics and healthcare centers made from shipping containers, Mobile Modular Portable Storage is a local supplier that provides high-security portable storage containers in multiple sizes with some excellent rental and purchase plans. We deliver containers typically in one business day and offer a 30-day billing cycle instead of the usual 28-day rental plan.

To learn more, contact us on 866-459-7600 or to rent or purchase shipping containers, request a quote. We generally respond  within one business hour.