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Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

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Currently, Italy is the world’s worst-hit country by the pandemic. Within the last 24 hours, 743 have passed away from Covid-19, bringing the death toll to a total of 6,820. Over 3,000 people are left in critical condition with more and more of them arriving at the ICU every day. The hospitals are overcrowded and doctors and nurses are run down from exhaustion. Unfortunately, the pandemic shows no signs of easing any time soon.

More info: curapods.org | squintopera.com

Recently, Italian architects designed a life-saving solution to increase the ICU capacity

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

With the growing need for increased ICU capacity, both the government and various organizations are looking for solutions to solve the problem that is costing lives.

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

Recently, an international task force of designers, engineers, medical professionals, and military experts teamed up to create CURA—an open-source project aimed at capacity building in Intensive Care Units (ICU).

Their invention called CURA, allows turning shipping containers into portable intensive care pods

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

The creators of CURA got the brilliant idea to turn shipping containers into intensive care pods that will serve as wards for COVID-19 patients. The project was designed by Italian architects Carlo Ratti and Italo Rota.

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Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

According to the creators, these 20-foot intermodal containers can be mounted as quickly as a hospital tent, but are as safe as the isolation ward due to biocontainment with negative pressure.

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

These pods are easy to transport and can be deployed within hours. They can be used individually or can be set up in various arrangements connected by an inflatable structure.

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

Each of the biocontainment units has the capacity to fit medical equipment and two patients.

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

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The very first CURA is currently being built in Milan, Italy

Italians Design An Emergency Hospital Out Of Shipping Containers

Image credits: Squint Opera

The very first CURA, which is being developed in an open-source, not-for-profit framework, is now being built in Milan, Italy, with the sponsorship of UniCredit.

Watch the introducing these portable intensive care pods below

Image credits: Squint Opera

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What do you think ?

Kathy Baylis 4 years ago

Genius! F*****g GENIUS!!!! Kudos

4points

Steffen Buchert 4 years ago

It's a cool idea, but not new. Armed forces all over the world use this kind of mobile hospital for decades. For example the German Bundeswehr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueHfHD-Vd4Q

2points

meg ewen 4 years ago

We've had Datacenter in a POD for years now, so I'm not surprised to hear the military has the same concept for MASH units.

1point

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Chris DiFonso 4 years ago

Great idea, especially given the shortage of hospital beds. In California (and perhaps other states) they are reopening closed hospitals. At least one potential problem with this is that not all (and perhaps few) have ever been retrofitted for current earthquake standards. And, who knows how good the infrastructure is (e.g., ventilation system). This CURA is a better solution, in my opinion.

2points

Sandra Simpson 4 years ago

This is a very smart idea, especially for a place like Italy where there are SO many coronavirus patients right now. :-) Kudos

1point

Monika Soffronow 4 years ago

This will be needed for quite a long time and since it can easily be shipped the containers can be put into use wherever there is a spike in demand. It is almost weird that there isn't already a supply of these as UN or WHO emergency response material.

1point

Kathy Baylis 4 years ago

Genius! F*****g GENIUS!!!! Kudos

4points

Steffen Buchert 4 years ago

It's a cool idea, but not new. Armed forces all over the world use this kind of mobile hospital for decades. For example the German Bundeswehr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueHfHD-Vd4Q

2points

meg ewen 4 years ago

We've had Datacenter in a POD for years now, so I'm not surprised to hear the military has the same concept for MASH units.

1point

Load More Replies...

Chris DiFonso 4 years ago

Great idea, especially given the shortage of hospital beds. In California (and perhaps other states) they are reopening closed hospitals. At least one potential problem with this is that not all (and perhaps few) have ever been retrofitted for current earthquake standards. And, who knows how good the infrastructure is (e.g., ventilation system). This CURA is a better solution, in my opinion.

2points

Sandra Simpson 4 years ago

This is a very smart idea, especially for a place like Italy where there are SO many coronavirus patients right now. :-) Kudos

1point

Monika Soffronow 4 years ago

This will be needed for quite a long time and since it can easily be shipped the containers can be put into use wherever there is a spike in demand. It is almost weird that there isn't already a supply of these as UN or WHO emergency response material.

1point

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