Designing Mobile Epidemic Prevention Medical Stations for the COVID-19 Pandemic and International Medical Aid

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 12;19(16):9959. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169959.

Abstract

The demand for mobile epidemic prevention medical stations originated from the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to reduce the infection risk of medical practitioners and provide flexible medical facilities in response to the variable needs of the pandemic, this research aimed to design mobile medical stations for COVID-19 epidemic prevention, the emergence of which began in February 2020. The mobile medical stations include a negative pressure isolation ward, a positive pressure swabbing station, a fever clinic and a laboratory. In Taiwan, many medical institutions used the mobile swabbing station design of this study to practice COVID-19 screening pre-tests. Internationally, this study assisted Palau in setting up medical stations to provide anti-epidemic goods and materials. The design of this study not only provides a highly flexible and safe medical environment but the benefits of screening can also be used as resources for medical research, forming an economic circulation for operation sustainability. In addition, the design of this study can also be used during the non-epidemic period as a healthcare station for rural areas or as a long-term community medical station.

Keywords: COVID-19; epidemic prevention; international medical aid; medical sustainability; mobile medical station.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Pandemics / prevention & control
  • Taiwan / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.