All images courtesy of the World Health Organization/World Food Programme
With one of the largest healthcare engineering teams in the country, working with the International Federation of Healthcare Engineers (IFHE) to volunteer engineering and design services to the World Health Organization (WHO) is a natural fit for HH Angus. We first answered IFHE’s call for volunteers in 2020 during the early days of the COVID pandemic, and our involvement has grown from there. The Infectious Disease Treatment Module (IDTM) project is our fifth under the auspices of the IFHE. Supporting the vital work of the WHO by donating time and resources for healthcare facilities in low-resource countries fits well with both our commitment to give back to the global community and the desire of HH Angus employees to contribute to these worthwhile initiatives. We also have deep experience in implementing systems design to support infection and control procedures in healthcare settings, so our most recent involvement was well suited to our strengths.
Rapid Response
The World Food Programme (WFP) INITIATE2 IDTM is the first project in a five-year initiative to develop innovative and standardized solutions to support readiness and response capabilities for health emergencies worldwide.
The focus of the IDTM is to allow stakeholders to rapidly deploy and operate treatment modules in emergency situations to treat the first patients with infectious diseases and to protect the healthcare workers who are treating them. As part of the design team, HH Angus employees volunteered their expertise and time over the course of 12 months to design, tender and prototype an IDTM, which was delivered and tested in Brindisi, Italy. The design team is subsequently supporting refinement of the design by addressing opportunities for improvement that were identified during medical and technical testing.
The inflatable IDTM structure was compartmentalized to separate staff and patient areas while maintaining necessary sightlines and quick response to patients through a transparent screen without staff needing to don full personal protective equipment. In addition to the physical barrier, the separation is also supported by directional airflow. The structure of each module and inserts allow for flexibility and the ability to accommodate more patients if needed.
Complex Challenges Inspire Innovation
Developing a treatment module that is rapidly deployable with no specialized tools, is easily transportable, adaptable to different climates, accepted by the local community, safe for staff, and suitable to respond to an unknown infectious disease outbreak is an extraordinary challenge.
The testing stage of the IDTM was a unique aspect of this project, and it provided the design team with the opportunity to meet and work alongside emergency response team members who would be using this product in the field. Their feedback during medical and technical testing was critical to fully evaluating the performance of the prototype during a series of logistical and medical drills.
As the needs and anticipated use of the IDTM vary by partner organization, designing a flexible and adaptable solution was an important element of the criteria. The intent of the IDTM is that it is re-deployable to other communities and emergencies which will reduce its overall environmental impact.
We are always grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute to the important work of the IFHE, WHO and WFP, building on previous design support for projects in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mozambique, and Ukraine.
To view a video about the IDTM from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot, click on the link below:
Want to learn more about this initiative? Contact Meagan Webb who was the HH Angus lead for the project.
