Mastercard and the American India Foundation (AIF) have launched the first 100-bed mobile hospital in Civil hospital, Samarth Nagar, Jalna district, Maharashtra.

The facility has been installed by AIF as part of philanthropic efforts delivered through the Mastercard Impact Fund. 

The newly upgraded facility in Civil hospital, Samarth Nagar, Jalna district, Maharashtra includes triage and treatment centres, of which 92 general ward beds are in isolation units and eight are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The addition of 100 new beds increases the hospital’s current 350-bed capacity by almost 30 per cent, boosting its ability to treat and care for those affected by COVID-19.

Due to the portable nature of the facility, after the urgent need for beds subsides, each unit can easily be deconstructed or repurposed as extra space for various community needs. 

Three sites will be launched in quick succession next month in Amravati, Maharashtra; Baramati, Maharashtra; and Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.

“We appreciate the efforts of construction of 300 rapidly deployable Modular hospital bed units across Pune, Jalna and Amravati Districts, during the biggest humanitarian crisis of our times. These modular units will fortify the existing infrastructure and make hospitals self-sufficient in the face of the looming third wave”, said Rajesh Tope, Health Minister, Government of Maharashtra.

Prof K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India, said, “The initiative by Mastercard and AIF is one such where a few hospitals are being launched and/or commence their functions this month. Keeping up the momentum, learning from these experiences, will be important to accomplish the goals of all such partnerships.”