Our Work Healthcare Field Hospitals

Field Hospitals

Angola, 2020

Promed established rapid-response field hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 and other patients, providing access to medical care in outlying regions and helping to relieve the pressure on the country’s existing hospitals.

Project story

COVID-19 challenges nations to provide a quick response for patients in remote regions, where access to hospitals is often limited. Promed adapted pre-fabricated components from a US-based company to meet the specific needs of three portable field hospitals in Cabinda, Lunda Norte and Cunene.

In collaboration with Angola’s authorities, we handled
all aspects of importation, transport and on-site assembly, delivering the completed hospitals on time. Each covers 4,500 square meters, with 200 beds, toilets, showers and other furnishings as well as all necessary medical equipment, including twenty beds for critical care. If required, the hospitals can be disassembled and moved to different locations within days.

The process

Challenge

With limited flights operating due to COVID-19, arranging for the import of hospital components and medical equipment proved quite complex. This was especially true in the case of respirators, in high demand around the world. Construction of the hospitals was complicated by the lack of electricity and water in some locations as well as limited skilled manpower. In one case this resulted in the need to move a complete field hospital to a new location.

Approach

Promed implemented creative solutions to overcome the paucity of flights and lack of available equipment. It sought to develop productive collaboration with Angola’s authorities in order to help overcome manpower shortages.

Solution

Drawing on extensive experience, Promed’s import department managed to acquire all necessary components and equipment. We were able to speed up the assembly process and deliver the project on time. The unexpected need to move one of the hospitals to a better location proved the feasibility of Promed’s plan.

Some numbers

SDGs we followed

3· 9

Good health and well-being• Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Approximate area covered by each hospital

4.5K m²

Number of tents per hospital for hospitalization

27

plus tents for laboratories, reception and administration.

In-patients each hospital can accommodate with full standard medical equipment

200

Respirators each hospital has

20

Some numbers

SDGs we followed

3· 9

Good health and well-being• Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Approximate area covered by each hospital

4.5K m²

Number of tents per hospital for hospitalization

27

plus tents for laboratories, reception and administration.

In-patients each hospital can accommodate with full standard medical equipment

200

Respirators each hospital has

20

Subsidiaries that worked on the project

Healthcare

Promed’s unique healthcare solutions provide everything from advanced medical and diagnostic equipment to urban medical centers, rural mobile health clinics and emergency field hospitals.

Energy

Ossi Yeto provides leading-edge solutions for electricity production, transmission and distribution – from planning through construction and maintenance, including the use of innovative alternative energy technologies.

In conversation
with Nissim Palomo

Nissim Palomo is the Project Manager.

Working on this project gave me the opportunity to be part of a new and important challenge, one that came with some unexpected surprises. For example, after we’d finished setting up the second hospital, we were asked to move it to a different location. That made my heart skip a beat but, ultimately, it also demonstrated the practicality of our concept, because we succeeded in making the move within days. That, in itself, was very satisfying.

Above all, my satisfaction stems from knowing that we’ve given people who live far from existing hospitals access to the medical care they deserve – especially at a time like this. I’ve seen how Promed and Mitrelli are capable of taking on almost any challenge, and how we managed to carry out the project rapidly, despite all sorts of obstacles. Most importantly, what we’ve done here will save lives. I’m proud to be a part of that.

“We’ve given people who live far from hospitals access to the medical care they deserve.”

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