A sanitation cubicle for frontliners exiting COVID-19 patient wards is being developed by Filipino researchers to increase safety protocols for healthcare workers.
Called SaniPod, it is a self-containing cubicle similar to air showers which will ensure that medical personnel are given an extra layer of protection from COVID-19.
SaniPod cubicles are more efficient than the existing sanitation tents in terms of disinfection success.
Funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the technology uses advanced features such as acrylic walls for easy cleaning and disinfection of external and internal surfaces when placed in highly contagious and dense areas in the hospital.
DOST-PCHRD said that SaniPod cubicles are also installed with automatic motion sensors to activate the entrance and exit doors, with different disinfectants coupled with UV light and use a foot sanitation unit to disinfect the undersurface of shoes. This will decrease contact with the surfaces of the cubicle, leading to lesser chances of microbes staying on the surfaces.
“With over 2,000 healthcare workers now infected with COVID-19, the country continues to face a shortage of medical personnel amidst the pandemic. While some nurses have been working for longer shifts to respond to the increasing cases, numbers reveal that there are only six doctors for every 10,000 Filipinos. The infection has made it harder for the country’s health capacity, as nearly 650 doctors are already infected with COVID-19 as of May 12,” the agency said.
Aiming to distribute more than 100 units to various hospitals after development, the technology can also provide psychological assurance to healthcare workers.
It can also serve as a means of disinfection for Filipinos if placed in highly dense areas such as public markets.
SaniPod is one of the efforts under the Surgical Innovation and Biotechnology Laboratory (SIBOL), a UP Manila College of Medicine program which collaborates with scientists and engineers from UP Diliman. (Dhel Nazario)
