With the rising cases of COVID-19, we are running out of hospitals
With an unprecedented rise in the cases of COVID-19, we are running out of hospital space in cities as well as rural areas. For a country where there is still a long way in improving healthcare facilities, we are now faced with a pandemic that is axing our already weak branch. As such, the erection of isolation wards has been fast-tracked by all the state governments following the example of China which had managed to build a COVID hospital in a lighting fast period of 10 days. Acting on the urgency, many existing structures such as schools, colleges, malls, and even railway compartments were converted into isolation wards for housing COVID-19 patients.
Isolation wards are meant to separate suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases from the rest of the world. Patients inside these wards are kept in isolation until they test negative as per MoHFW’s discharge policy. According to the WHO, the clinical criteria requires that patients’ symptoms have been resolved for at least three days before release from isolation, with a minimum time in isolation of 13 days since symptom onset. So how exactly are these isolation wards built and how can EcoPro Fibre cement boards help? – Let’s find out.
What it takes to set up an isolation ward
In ideal conditions, COVID-19 patients are expected single rooms, but that is practically impossible considering the absurdly high ratio of patients and rooms. Hence, another closest & feasible alternative is to house all patients together in common wards with individual beds which are placed at a minimum distance of 2m from each other. Apart from the beds, each room should have a separate toilet/bathroom cum changing area to maintain hygiene and contain the spread opportunities of the virus. For the ventilation, the isolation ward should have enough windows and ceiling fans to ward off stale air. These wards should not share the same area with other wards such as post-surgical and labor rooms as the virus is highly contagious. Preferably, they should have separate entry and exit bypassing any appearance in the general area. With this calculation and considering space overheads for equipment, waste disposal bins, walking, and transporting, etc – a 2000 sq.ft area can comfortably accommodate only around 10 beds. So while we may have enough area, we don’t have much time as, despite frequent lockdowns, the number of patients is exponentially rising before the curve finally flattens. For this, we need to erect isolation wards as quickly as possible.
How EcoPro Fibre cement boards can save time & energy
It is understood that Isolation wards cannot be set up at a regular pace and require a speedy installation to cater to patients in real-time. What better than a fibre cement board set up that is quick to install and is ready to use in no time. These factory-made boards require minimal masonry work only for the foundation and the rest can be installed merely by the help of frames. This saves a tremendous amount of time as compared to masonry work. Not just time, fibre cement boards are built to possess qualities such as resistance to fire and moisture, durability, light weightedness, strength and flexibility, and also resistance to termites and molds. It is so easy to transport and requires less labor thus saving energy too. All these properties make it an ideal choice of construction especially as when monsoon peaks in India. On top of it, EcoPro Fibre cement boards are EcoFriendly and reusable, which means minimal wastage & smart usage of resources. Fibre cement boards can also be used as partition wall to divide the existing structures into smaller rooms such as a large hall or an auditorium. These walls are easy to mount and act as sound absorbing panels giving the patients peace of mind amid chaos. Additionally, one of the important features of fibre cement walls is that being moisture resistant, it provides a hostile environment to bacteria and germs and hinders their growth. And the best part is, they are affordable.
With so many advantages, clearly, Fibre cement boards should be utilized more for their utility. They can surely add strength while the fight against COVID-19 continues. We are sure we will come out of this pandemic victorious and will ensure the lives lost were not without a cause.
