Covid-19 has challenged our healthcare system to the brink of capacity failure, but innovation and hard work continue to step up and battle the virus to help give patients the care they need. Early on in the pandemic it quickly became evident that our medical establishment was in trouble and was struggling due to the overwhelming number of patients requiring critical care. Hamilton Container Services was contracted to provide 44 intensive care units fabricated from ISO shipping containers. All 44 ICU modular units were made from 88, 40 foot containers. Delivery was crucial and Hamilton had three weeks from the initial call. The medical field was encountering new challenges and ‘Hamilton Container Services was eager to play our part”, says Wally Hansan, CEO.
Containers are generally readily available, but the same virus that we were trying to fight had already put the supply chain on notice. Hamilton maintains an extensive inventory and when it came to being able to deliver on time, “we not only had the hardware and know how, we also have the team ready to manufacture the desperately needed ICU patient rooms and make them reality”, said Mr. Hansan. “Our team rallied, behind this project because we want to play our part”.
Container based medical spaces are a better choice than using tents or curtains for isolating critical patients. These types of structures are ok for treating mild cases, but a more robust portable solution is required for more severe cases. Containers provide a perfect solution and offer many advantages. Hamilton was contracted to supply a portable hospital that brought 44 intensive care units (ICU’s) to the fight. Hamilton had 3 weeks to deliver the modified units and met the challenge on schedule.
Containerized solutions are portable making them quickly deployable. They can withstand Mother Nature and have built in heating, ventilation and air conditioning. In addition, patient rooms provide privacy and can have private restrooms, just like in a traditional hospital room. Hamilton provides modified containers that have the look and feel of a typical hospital setting. Patient rooms, screening rooms, surgical rooms, equipment storage, nursing stations, consultation and break room spaces are all possible.
Whether you're looking to have a portable hospital ready at a moments notice or expanding your current capacity during a time of crisis, preplanning is critical in order to mount an effective response.
"We think of containers like LEGO blocks”, said Hansan. By removing side panels and placing them side by side, we can design rooms of varying sizes and shapes. Standard containers can be partitioned into multiple rooms and we use micro-cell insulation to deaden sound and maintain environmental comfort. Once the container is insulated and the wall and floor material installed, the interior space can be set up just like any hospital interior.
A single container can have multiple self contained patient rooms. A field hospital can consist of many of these portable structures. Modular hookups for electrical and water are provided allowing for quick field deployment. These independent units are ideal for quick field placement in time of crisis. Additionally, these types of units are ideal for remote locations where local hospitals or the ability to get patients to a central location is difficult. These units are ideal for semi-permanent locations allowing them to be moved when needed. Locations where medical personal travel to visit patients or at events such as marathons, stadiums, outdoor festivals, race tracks, or any remote location, are perfect for the self contained units.
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