How Shipping Containers Can Help Hospitals

Written by Susan Nalevac | Updated September 13, 2024

 There are many ways to use shipping containers other than to transport goods. Recently, hospitals and other health-care facilities have started using containers to deal with problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guide will explain how shipping containers can help hospitals and why many facilities choose these containers over other options.

In This Article:

• Container Hospitals
• Mobile Health-Care Clinics
• Container Housing for Staff
• Added Storage
• Why Health-Care Facilities Use Shipping Containers
  

Container Hospitals

Shipping containers can be helpful additions to existing hospitals and health-care facilities, but they can also be self-sufficient container hospitals themselves. The versatility and durability of shipping containers allow hospitals to outfit and renovate them to be functioning temporary hospitals in little time for little money.

In unexpected times of undue stress on hospital facilities, such as during a pandemic or after a natural disaster, container hospitals add more beds and space for equipment to relieve some of the burden from other facilities. When a natural disaster hits, you’re likely to see a container temporary clinic pop up to help victims.

People in dire need of medical care also won’t have to travel great distances to receive treatment; a container hospital can instead go to them. Temporary, mobile container hospitals are sturdy, reliable, and versatile, and they can be transported into difficult conditions and situations quickly and easily.

Hospital Treatment Pods

 One of the ways that hospitals use containers is for treatment pods. Thanks to its simple design, a shipping container can be outfitted with hospital equipment and act as a treatment pod for patients or renovated into a temporary ICU (intensive care unit).

Expanding their facilities for additional care and treatment options is vital for hospitals dealing with additional patients and a shortage of hospital beds.

How Shipping Containers Help Hospitals During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic put the health-care industry through some of the most challenging times in its history. Hospitals were overflowing with patients, and a lack of beds presented a crisis for many parts of the country. Many hospitals didn’t have enough space to safely and adequately house and treat all their patients. This is where shipping containers came in.

To deal with the shortage of beds and rooms, some facilities decided to buy steel shipping containers and outfit them with medical equipment to create temporary pods, or they bought prefabricated and pre-equipped container pods.

Some containers were even transformed into temporary ICUs for patients who required the most attention. Whatever a health-care facility needs to better treat its patients, a shipping container offers reliable, affordable temporary housing.

Mobile Health-Care Clinics

Shipping containers were handy for hospitals during the pandemic, but their use didn’t stop there. Facilities have many other reasons to add temporary, mobile health-care clinics.

Some facilities have already put these mobile clinics to use, using shipping containers for:

• Checkup centers
• Isolation wards
• Surgical rooms
• Emergency rooms
• Blood donations
• Vaccination centers

Container Housing for Staff

Another way that hospitals and health-care facilities use shipping containers is for temporary housing for their staff. Many people already use containers for their primary housing, and these containers are a natural fit for when facilities need extra space for their employees.

Some facilities use fully functioning on-site housing containers for staff, complete with climate control, bathrooms, and bunk beds. Container housing opens up space inside the facility for patients and equipment and gives medical professionals their own space to get needed rest.

Added Storage

As you might expect, hospitals also use shipping containers for the simple benefit of additional storage space. Sometimes, facilities have an overflow of equipment or need to temporarily put something aside.



Instead of paying for an additional storage unit off-site, hospitals can buy a shipping container that’s easily transported to their site and that offers plenty of storage space at a low price.

Why Health-Care Facilities Use Shipping Containers

As you can see, there are many opportunities for hospitals and health-care facilities to utilize shipping containers, but why would they use them? Why are containers better alternatives to traditional building and housing methods?

Durability

One of the benefits of shipping containers is that they’re incredibly durable. Companies engineer containers to cross oceans and protect precious cargo in the harshest conditions, from freezing cold to sweltering heat, so we know how durable these containers are.

Manufacturers make these containers out of COR-TEN steel, otherwise known as weathering steel. COR-TEN steel is sturdy but still weldable and therefore adjustable. Plus, it’s rust resistant, and it can take on the worst elements.

When hospitals choose shipping containers, they can trust that they’re built to last and that they’ll stand up to the harshest conditions.

Security

Because steel containers are so durable, they’re also secure. Health-care facilities can’t overlook security when they’re setting up temporary clinics; they have to think about the safety of their patients, equipment, and medical supplies.

A standard shipping container has only one entry point behind two heavy-duty metal doors. Even with renovations and changes, a container is incredibly secure.

Remember, companies trust containers to protect their precious cargo across the world, so they’re safe enough to house crucial medical supplies and equipment.

Portability

Companies design shipping containers to move worldwide quickly, so we know they’re portable. The convenience of containers makes them ideal for health-care facilities looking to add temporary health clinics.

Containers allow hospitals to get equipment and facilities to patients rather than bring people to the facility. And when it’s time to close up shop and move on, the container is ready for transportation in no time.



Furthermore, a container offers the speed of a temporary structure with the durability of a permanent one.

Easy to Renovate

People and businesses use shipping containers for all sorts of things, from temporary pop-up shops to container homes and storage units. Containers are helpful across many industries because they’re simple and easy to renovate.

The shipping container home is the latest housing trend, as people can easily add insulation, plumbing, electrical, and everything else a home may need. If a container can safely and conveniently be a home for people, it can house practically anything else. The only limit to what you can do with a container is your imagination.

Affordability

The benefits of shipping containers as temporary structures wouldn’t mean much if they were expensive. Hospitals and health-care facilities need to conserve their resources to provide for their patients and staff, so they often can’t afford something expensive that would take money from other areas of the budget.

But shipping containers are very affordable, with multiple purchase options available. New containers may be the most expensive option, but used containers are just as dependable—they can do the same job as a new container.

Conclusion

You now know how shipping containers can help hospitals and why health-care facilities typically choose containers for temporary structural needs.

If you have questions about buying a shipping container for yourself or your business, contact the professionals at Container Management, Inc.