Karnataka on Thursday launched an Artificial Intelligence-(AI) driven movable hospital, designed in the form of pods to contain the spread of contagious diseases such as COVID-19 and prevent cross-contamination at hospitals.
The movable hospital — Vevra Pods — is developed by a Bengaluru-based startup called Vevra. It was e-launched by Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar.
The pods, which can accommodate up to nine beds, uses negative air pressure to help contain airborne diseases such as TB, Flu, and COVID-19, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“AI has the potential to transform the healthcare sector. More technology start-ups should focus on developing low-cost solutions to make healthcare more accessible and affordable,” he said.
Happy to e-launch Healthcare Pods developed by Vevra. These pods are innovative movable hospitals integrated with AI and helps in containment of contagious diseases. AI has the potential to transform healthcare & I urge tech startups to focus on low-cost solutions. pic.twitter.com/gT3Jvj0Fo0
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) August 20, 2020
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Vevra has tied up with InnoWave Group, a Portugal-based IoT (Internet of Things) firm, to develop the pods. While they require a minimum space of 500 sqft, these pods can be annexed to hospital buildings, parking lots or other open spaces on the hospital premises, the company claimed.
The government has so far not specified where the pod hospitals will be placed. Karnataka is one of the worst affected regions in the country with over 2.56 lakh cases and over 4,429 fatalities so far.
