Jamia student designs Portable Quarantine Centre – A Report

In the present situation when the shortage of quarantine centres is being felt across the country, a 19 years-old student from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has come up with a solution to solve the problem of space for quarantining and health facilities. Kaif Ali, who is a third-year student from the Faculty of Architecture, has designed a model of a proposed quarantine centre and hospital isolation wards made up entirely with portable and easily dismantle materials like corrugated metal sheet containers.

In an interview with team TJR, Ali said, “In order to successfully curb the COVID-19 pandemic, we need advancement in every sphere including architecture, through which the medical system would be supported.” Telling about his proposals, he adds, “The containers of 2.5m x 6m size are to be used to form a three-bed quarantine centre or to create a two-bed isolation ward for hospital patients, thus, creating an easily constructed, portable, economical and easy-to-adapt structures”. It must be noted that Ali draws inspiration from the CURA (Latin for ‘cure’) care temporary hospitals which were used in Italy to cure COVID patients.

Ali further explains that with his idea, up to eight containers can be stacked together to create a 24-bed quarantine unit with each container having four toilet units for the patients. “The quarantine units can be created in open spaces, such as DDA parks near hotspots or even in the parking areas of the hospitals, as each requires only 14,000 square meters of area; also these can be sanitized regularly,” says Ali.

Ali mentions that he had sent his proposal to all state government’s Health and Urban Development Ministries, and informs that he even had received response from Karnataka Government which is willing to work with him. Not only this, he states that earlier than this, he had suggested similar ideas for the use of containers to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to help the Syrian refugee, and worked with the organisations from few African nations who considered his ideas for implementation.

It must be mentioned that Ali credits his alma-mater JMI to be an encouraging hand behind it. “My university which in its entire history has stood for serving the humanity, is a motivating force behind me and encourages me to serve and empathise with the public through my innovations”, he concludes.

Aashish Kochhar is a student pursuing History from Jamia Millia Islamia.

edited by: Yusuf Aziz