Context

• India has gifted four mobile hospital BHISHM Cubes designed for emergency medical care to Ukraine under 'Project Arogya Maitri'.
• India handed over 10 'Bhishm Cubes' carrying medical support equipment weighing 22 tonnes.

 Project Arogya Maitri

• Under the Arogya Maitri project, India provides critical medical resources to any developing country facing natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
• Launch: The project was launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Defense.

Objective of the project:

• Expansion of health services: To expand health services even in remote areas of the country.
• Strengthening of Primary Health Centres: To equip Primary Health Centres with modern facilities and increase their capacity.
• Availability of medicines: To ensure availability of essential medicines.

Key components of the project:

• Health infrastructure: Construction and upgradation of primary health centres, sub-centres and community health centres.
• Mobile health clinics: Providing healthcare services through mobile health clinics in remote areas.
• E-health: Making healthcare services accessible through digitisation of health records and telemedicine.

BHISHM Cubes

• This is the world's first portable hospital.
• BHISHM Arogya Maitri Cubes is the world's first disaster hospital that can be airlifted in 72 cubes.
• Development and Design: By HLL Life Care (PSE, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala)

Characteristics:

• Medical Equipment: Each module is loaded with essential medical equipment, including: surgical instruments, monitoring equipment, X-ray machines, generators, laboratory equipment and anaesthesia machines, etc.
• Transportation: By air, land and sea
• Design Structure: 72 cubes are assembled in a special cage. Each cage can hold 36 mini-cubes.
• Capacity: Can provide up to 200 patients simultaneously for up to 48 hours.
• AI Integration: It integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to facilitate effective coordination, real-time monitoring and efficient management.
• Weight: Each cube weighs less than 20 kg and the total weight of each master cube is less than 750 kg.
• Deployment: Lightweight and portable (can be moved to another place), can be airdropped or ground transported and made operational within 12 minutes.