Due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the United States and other countries, world governments are turning to military-style field hospitals to aid medical institutions that are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. These temporary sanatoriums are set up in different locations such as parking lots, stadiums, and open spaces near primary establishments.
Though most of these structures are made by the engineers of the US army, others are constructed by non-government organizations and companies that are manufacturing field support systems like Western Shelter. And these mobile hospitals are designed to care for patients who are infected with the coronavirus and also as a “relief valve” for medical hospitals that don’t have enough staff to address the pandemic situation.
Read more as we are going to tackle the importance of field hospital systems during the COVID-19 crisis in today’s post.
How do They work?
Field hospital systems are outdoor tent-like structures that are being set up to offer additional bed space. Likewise, repurposed buildings can also be classified as such.
In specialized areas near hospitals, field hospices are being installed to screen patients with symptoms of COVID-19 and to monitor the health of those who are infected.
A field hospital usually includes these different units to provide optimal health care:
Admission or triage room
Examination or emergency room
Prep units
Operating room
ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
Sterilization Unit
Staffroom
CT scan and radiology unit
Laboratory and pharmacy
Ward
Portable toilets and showers
Water pump and generators
Though the level of care may differ depending on the function, the main feature of these structures is to provide rapid deployment and immediate medical care for medical, private organizations, and the military.
What’s Inside A COVID-19 Mobile Hospital Unit?
Patients are brought in for an initial assessment at the admissions area.
Doctors conduct a check-up to determine if aggressive treatment is needed.
Patients who have severe symptoms are transferred to ICU to provide intensive medical care.
Additional feature includes:
Patient beds
Privacy partition
Canvas covering
Inflatable bracing (in some units)
Air pump and generator
Why Are Field Hospitals Important During The Pandemic Crisis?
To Address The Issue With The Lack Of Bed Space And Hospital Staffing – As previously mentioned, field hospitals provide a sort of relief for hospitals that are already filled with coronavirus patients and prevent overcrowding. Aside from that, it also allows the medical facility to hire additional staff to address the surge of COVID-19 more efficiently.
To Maintain The Quality Of Medical Care That The Patient Needs - Mobile health care systems ensure positive support experience for COVID-19, which is very important in these times since there is no cure yet for this type of virus.
To Guarantee Proper Isolation Of Patients – And finally, field hospital systems are equipped with partitions to isolate patients with coronavirus and to prevent the virus from spreading further to healthy individuals and front-liners who are there to provide sufficient medical care for them.
