Modulus Housing, an IIT Incubated startup, develops a portable hospital unit


Modulus Housing, an IIT Incubated startup, develops a portable hospital unit

An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras-incubated startup named Modulus Housing has developed a portable hospital unit that can be installed anywhere within two hours by four people. Medicab, the unit, follows a decentralized approach to detect, screen, identify, isolate and treat Covid-19 patients in the local communities through the portable microstructures and has already been launched in Wayanad District of Kerala.

The unit is foldable and has four zones – a doctor's room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward and a twin-bed ICU maintained at negative pressure, according to a release issued by the institute.

"The outcome of this pilot project in Kerala will help in proving the applicability of the technology and advantages of micro hospitals, with MediCAB as an instant infrastructure solution. It can be easily assembled in eight hours by four people. When folded, our collapsible cabins are reduced five-fold, making it very cost-effective for transportation," Shreeram Ravichandran, chief executive officer, Modulus Housing, said.

"This offering is meant for places in rural areas that lack the basic infrastructure. It is better to isolate Covid-19 patients in negative pressure rooms than to keep them in large halls in schools and colleges. Our model comes with an exhaust, industrial dome which ensures ventilation. After the Covid-19 pandemic, we can reconfigure our structure into a rural health camp or a daycare centre for children, education camp etc,” he said.

Modulus Housing has set up its manufacturing unit at Chengalpet (located about 35 kms from Chennai). Founded by two IIT alumni in 2018, Modulus Housing now has a 15 member team and works with various industry partners and the IIT alumni network.