Innovative Modular Hospital – Domestic Company's Product Solves Problem of Accommodation Capacities in Health Institutions

The problem with accommodation capacities in hospitals is felt by all the countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and the whole world admired the Chinese, who raised a pre-fabricated hospital in Wuhan in ten days. When they saw that our country was facing the same problem, following this example, the Belgrade-based company Composite Technology Team (CTT) developed not just the mobile units used in times of crisis as field clinics or operating rooms, but also a full system of pre-fabricated hospitals, which can be “built” in only a few days.

Mobile outpatient clinics take the form of a hydraulic platform, initially meant to facilitate the loading of container modules on trucks, which the team designed in 2016, later expanding its application. The company's engineering team has also founded a special department, called Lastavica, in order to show and implement the innovations they've been developing for a long time, which have to do with pre-fabricated structures.

The owner of CTT, aviation engineer Petar Matunovic, explains that mobile pre-fabricated outpatient clinics Lastavica are of the standard 30-feet container format, with movable sides which form a room of 8 by 4 meters when pulled out and are as such suitable for states of emergency.

– This sort of a mobile unit can be used in times of crisis as a field outpatient clinic, a diagnostic center or an operating room. It is equipped with an independent energy source and air-conditioning. When connections are available, the mobile outpatient clinic Lastavica can connect to the power network and the waterworks – Matunovic says for eKapija.

As he points out, one special characteristic of this mobile platform is that it is independent of the vehicle.

– First of all, this is a self-standing unit, so it doesn't keep the transport vehicle standing. Also, if the transport vehicle breaks down, the outpatient clinic is not blocked while the vehicle is being repaired. Instead, it is simply moved to another vehicle. Furthermore, the registration of this kind of a special vehicle and the amortization of the transport vehicle do not create problems, which leads to great savings. When they're not in use, these modules can be stacked, which reduces the storage costs – Matunovic says.

From the moment it accesses the location, the clinic becomes operational in ten to twenty minutes, which is very important when it comes to saving lives in critical situations, he adds.

– The clinic can also be used in wartime conditions, when its high degree of mobility brings big strategic advantages thanks to the low vulnerability and the possibility of taking care of the patients in the field – Matunovic explains.

Modular hospital

Unlike the standard shipping containers used for this purpose, the Lastavica team has developed a module based on light steel profiles produced on CNC machines, which can be used to set up pre-fabricated structures – in this case, modular hospitals.

– Lastavica was developed for the purpose of producing pre-fabricated facilities, that is, houses. We have planned to showcase the Lastavica family homes at this year's Construction Fair – Petar Matunovic says for our portal.

The advantage of this system, Matunovic adds, is that the main load-bearing structure is not made out of wood, but of galvanized sheet metal with guaranteed properties.

– This makes for a stronger and lighter structure, which is not likely to deteriorate and which has excellent fire and seismic resilience. Thanks to the computer-controlled highly productive machines, the structure features millimeter precision – he says.

One machine, he points out, can produce the structure for at least ten modules a day, and the basic module is adapted to light road transport, with a changeable structure of external walls.

– There are countless ways of assembling the module, depending on the demands. The advantage of such structures is that, in times of peace, they can be disassembled and reassembled independently in other configurations, so as to serve as public interest facilities, such as kindergartens, schools or housing centers – Matunovic says.

Support to local innovators

CTT expects the new circumstances to show to the state that they should pay attention to innovative solutions by local entrepreneurs and that they should be supported.

– This segment of the market has great potential, and the Serbian industry is not represented in it – Matunovic says.

S. Petrovic

Composite technology Team Beograd

Petar Matunović

modular outpatient clinic

modular hospital

modular clinic

coronavirus

Covid 19

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