SHAHD ALHAMDAN
Saudi Gazette
DUBAI — Samama Holding Company signed a distributing contract with General Electric Healthcare in partnership with Clinic in a Can to market and deploy 100 units of ‘Clinic in a Can’ in the Gulf region, especially in the Kingdom.
The deal was signed at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress held at the Dubai International Convention Center from Jan. 25-28, 2016.
The company is planning to introduce around 30 units to be used in Haj season in Makkah.
The clinic which is for the first time is showcased in the exhibition, is a self-contained medical clinic which are built in shipping containers. Around eight containers could be produced in a month and they are converted in the US and deployed, ready to use.
Clinic in a Can, which is a Clinical Department Solutions (CDS) is a re-locatable 6.2 meter container that could be converted into a primary care rooms. What make it special is that the container is prepared with all the needed medical equipment to be a high quality working environment.
These containers are designed with the capability to be located in rural areas or places where war or poverty are part of people lives.
It has AC and in some cases if the clients want they can have the option of 3G and telemedicine solutions.
The clients also can choose between weather having the car with Diesel or Solar Power options. If the the choice was diesel, it must be replenished based on the utilization and water tanks must be filled periodically. On the other hand, picking a container with the solar option the containers will have a special solar panels that are built on the top of it.
According to the General Manager- Hospital and Healthcare solutions- Commercial Director Solutions Division EAFM, Paul Morton, the containers could cost the client around 80 thousands dollars but the price could be changed depends on the customisation that is happening in the container. He added that it is much cheaper than other mobile medical units in the market which could reach around half million dollars.
He explained that the mobile clinic will help in meeting the need of people in rural areas and refugees campuses.
In 2015, some of these containers were shipped to Sierra Leone to aid in fighting Ebola. In 2005, the first container was built and provided medical care for a short time after Hurricane Katrina and was then sent to Haiti.
