Arogya Maitri cube: World's first indigenously designed portable hospital unveiled

Gurugram: The world's first portable hospital, the indigenously made 'Arogya Maitri cube', which can be assembled and installed within one hour of reaching the emergency site to treat the injured, was unveiled in Gurugram on Saturday.

"We have designed this hospital that can be assembled and installed within one hour of reaching the emergency site," said Amit Chaudhary, Managing Director of Packers Products.

"It can be used in any emergency area or disaster-hit area, whether it is an earthquake, flood, forest fire or even a war. It can treat bullet wounds and can treat up to 200 patients at any given point in time," Chaudhary said.

"When this cube reaches the point where there is a calamity and people are injured, then this has all the facilities to treat them. All the elements are present and they can be set up within 15 minutes of arrival, which, to my knowledge, no other agency has been able to do, and we train our people regularly so that they set up this surgical station within 15 minutes of their arrival," he said.

The portable hospital is called AarogYa Matri Cube and comes under the "Aarogya Maitri Project," initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and jointly developed by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence, and the National Security Council.

It represents a transformative leap in India's humanitarian efforts and emergency response capabilities. Under this project, India pledged to provide essential medical supplies to any developing country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.

The 'Aarogya Maitri' project is a continuum of India's growing role as a global healthcare leader. A flagship component of this project is the innovative "Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube," a modular trauma management and aid system designed for rapid deployment in mass casualty incidents (MCI), whether in times of peace or war.

This cube, a part of the broader initiative named "Project BHISHM"—Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri—is tailored to treat up to 200 casualties, emphasising rapid response and comprehensive care.

In the face of mass casualty incidents (MCIs), where requirements range from basic aid to advanced medical and surgical care, the Aid Cube stands out with its ability to be deployed quickly.

The portable hospital includes various cubes and these cubes can be converted into a surgical station that has all the facilities where small operating procedures can also be performed.