How Aspen Medical fast-tracked construction of a medical surge centre during a pandemic lockdown.
Highlights:
- Designed and constructed a fully functioning 51-bed medical surge centre in five weeks.
- Silver Medal at the International Project Management Association (IPMA) Awards in November 2020.
Overview
As the COVID-19 global pandemic began and spread to Australia, Aspen Medical delivered on the backup plan Canberra hoped it would never need.
Overcoming supply chain issues, domestic and international border closures and high demand for staff of all qualifications, we met the ACT Government’s request for a COVID-19 medical surge centre, achieving World Health Organization Standards (WHO).
These evolving standards for infection control required unique engineering solutions that reversed standard hospital builds to protect staff from an infection all patients would already share.
Building on experience combating Ebola in Sierra Leone, Aspen Medical liaised with the WHO and constructed the 51 bed facility, each bed being mechanically isolated from the others to prevent infection spread.
Six resuscitation bays were provided to better manage patients requiring ventilation. These bays are vented 12-15 times per hour. Due to the colder climate in Canberra, the heat in the building was recaptured through a heat exchange system.
The medical surge centre achieved independent hospital licensing and was completed and open for patients within just five weeks from the start of construction.
Approach
