What is a mobile modular hospital? Find out more

The events surrounding the coronavirus pandemic have led to a revitalised discussion of modular construction. Local government officials, owners of medical facilities and politicians have become interested in hospitals built from prefabricated elements. They have recognised that such solutions are a very good alternative to buildings built using traditional methods.

Among the greatest advantages of modular mobile hospitals is the speed of construction. It takes just a few months from placing the order to erecting a ready-made, functional and fully equipped building. The structures are also highly flexible - they can be dismantled and transported to any location at any time. The prefabricated elements are then removed by crane and transported to the desired location by truck. However, these are not all the benefits associated with investing in prefabricated facilities.
Respond to change! Bet on hospitals with modules

The coronavirus situation necessitated rapid responses. This was the case, for example, in China, where the healthcare system proved to be inefficient. At that time, a 25 000 sq m modular hospital was erected in 10 days. Although there was no need for such measures in Poland, everyone watched developments with concern. Many city managers and other institutions were considering investing in prefabricated facilities that could be adapted at a later date at will, using ready-made infrastructure. In practice, this means that when the pandemic starts to die down, the finished hospital will be fit for further use.

Prefabricated construction is characterised by its flexibility, which allows it to be transformed into a ward of any specialisation. Modern modular systems can be freely modified, adapting to current needs, e.g. by adding floors, changing the layout of rooms, creating additional wards. Manufactured components are also distinguished by their durability, have the necessary installations and meet health and safety standards. Their advantages also include energy efficiency, low operating costs and high aesthetics. As specialists emphasise, such buildings are in no way inferior to traditional solutions in terms of usability.
Modular hospitals adapted to current needs
The facilities are manufactured from bespoke components. Many factors are taken into account in the designs prepared, e.g. the size of the structure, the number of rooms, equipment. The facilities include treatment rooms, operating theatres, intensive care units, rooms suitable for isolating patients suffering from infectious diseases. The isolation spaces in the treatment facility have the necessary installations (mechanical exhaust ventilation is usually installed in the sanitary facilities and also in the filing rooms, while the rest of the rooms are equipped with supply and exhaust systems).

The wards are equipped with life-saving equipment and monitoring of current body parameters. The wards are supplied with medical gases (oxygen, vacuum, compressed air). Patients have access to bathrooms with toilets, sinks and showers, and there are refrigerators for medicines, apparatus for diagnostic tests and other necessary equipment for the staff.

Modular hospitals are not only characterised by their versatility, but are also suitable for admitting patients with a wide range of conditions. They meet the installation, general space and sanitary requirements set out in the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health. Interesting solutions to improve sterility and protect staff and patients from infection include the sluice room, a special facility separated from the hospital building where decontamination is carried out using hydrogen peroxide vapour. This removes contamination and prevents further emission of bacteria and viruses.

The isolation rooms are equipped with HEPA-filtered diffusers and extractors, which effectively eliminate bacteria, viruses, fungi and other biological agents from the air. Care has also been taken to ensure a pressure differential, which is particularly important in the case of droplet-transmitted pathogens. As an additional safeguard against infection, there is also a dedicated system that allows visual and voice communication with patients without visiting their rooms.
Modular hospitals are an excellent investment

Rebuilding or erecting a medical facility from scratch takes place in a very short time. The components required to build a hospital are created in a closed production facility, under controlled and repeatable conditions. Only the pre-prepared components are assembled on site, which takes just a few days. At the same time, the installation of the modules does not interfere with the operation of the existing medical facility - the fixing of the prefabricated components using cranes eliminates nuisance in the form of noise, dust or mess. Mobile modular hospitals are therefore an ideal option for builders looking for practical yet sustainable solutions to support patient treatment.