Gyeonggi to introduce portable negative-pressure ward

The outside view of the portable negative-pressure ward developed by KAIST (Credit: Gyeonggi Province)

Gyeonggi Province said it would introduce portable negative-pressure wards to prevent a severe shortage of such isolation wards in case of a spike in Covid-19 infections.

On Tuesday, Gyeonggi Province said it would install 30 portable negative-pressure wards at the Gyeonggi Human Resource Development Center and operate them for patients with mild Covid-19 starting from August.

The August operation is a preliminary verification of the world’s first portable negative-pressure ward, developed by professor Nam Tek-jin’s research team at the Industrial Design Department of KAIST.

The portable negative-pressure ward developed by KAIST is a block-type module with an air tent structure designed for multi-purpose assembly. It is easy to move, install, and expand, reflecting Korea's climate and ground conditions. It allows treatment for patients with moderate or severe Covid-19.

The portable negative-pressure ward has a “pass box” where things can be delivered to patients and a front window so that medical staff can check the patients without entering the ward. This can reduce the fatigue of physicians because they do not have to wear protective equipment during rounds.

The portable wards are easy to manage because they can be linked with existing treatment rooms and reinstalled. The wards also protect patients’ privacy.

Gyeonggi Province plans to secure data on expenses, time, facilities, space for effective operation, and personnel required to install negative-pressure wards and use them in the event of an infectious disease outbreak in the future.

The inside view of the portable negative-pressure room developed by KAIST (Credit: Gyeonggi Province)

“If the portable negative-pressure ward is commercialized, it will solve the problem of hospital bed shortages that occur whenever the number of Covid-19 cases spikes,” Gyeonggi Province said. “It will also play a crucial role as a quarantine system in a pandemic crisis other than Covid-19.”

Gyeonggi Province set up a joint operation committee, co-headed by Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Director Jeong Il-yong and Project Leader Bae Choong-sik at KAIST, and held the first meeting on June 1.

“The portable negative-pressure ward project is a meaningful attempt to cope with emergencies that may occur in a sudden disaster situation,” Jeong said. “It will be a solution not only for Covid-19 response but for the post-Covid-19 era. I will do my best to make this model successful.”