SCG Foundation teamed up with Siam Global House Public Company Limited, donating the Modular Screening & Swab Unit and Modular Bathroom worth 3.9 million Baht to keep the hospital at a heightened state of readiness for a possible new wave of COVID-19. The innovation aims to reduce contact between medical professionals and patients with an integrated pressure-controlled airflow system to ensure appropriate air quality and disinfection system to stop the spread of the virus. The units can conveniently be installed in a limited space in no time which helps mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers and patients. Roi Et Governor Wanchai Kongkasem presided over the handover ceremony along with Dr. Chonlawit Laothong, Director of Roi Et Hospital, Dr. Pitakpong Payuha, Deputy Provincial Chief Medical Officer of Roi Et and Roi Et Communicable Disease Committee, Mr. Witoon Suriyawanakul, CEO of Siam Global House Pcl. and Mr. Bunn Kasemsup, Head of SCG Home Retail and Distribution Business on behalf of SCG Foundation.
Dr. Chonlawit Laothong, Director of Roi Et Hospital, revealed that the team at the hospital is delighted and gratified by the Modular Screening & Swab Unit provided by SCG Foundation and Siam Global House Pcl. The support signifies that the two companies underline the priority of enhancing the safety of healthcare workers operating on the front line of care by introducing a universal standard Modular Screening & Swab Unit to provide safe testing for suspected patients. The hospital has optimized the Modular Screening & Swab Unit to fit medical practices and services for respiratory patients and transformed it into a one-stop service to improve service speed offering al-inclusive services in one place from patient registration, medical history evaluation, an examination by a doctor, swab collection, to drug collection. The service point is located in a separate area that is made isolated from the main building to avoid direct contact between patients to reduce the risk of infection. The unit will help increase the hospital’s readiness for the second wave of COVID-19 or can be used for testing other respiratory diseases like fever, or pulmonary tuberculosis when the COVID-19 pandemic is contained. The hospital offers care for over 9,700 respiratory cases a year. Roi Et Hospital provides tertiary care with a bed capacity of 820 and a daily patient load of 2,000 people. The Modular Screening & Swab Unit has been successfully installed and open to patients with respiratory conditions such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, or inability to smell. The unit is located in front of Roi Et Hospital’s Mahaweero Building on Rimkhlong road. The unit is used to provide tests to those with suspected infections and ensure that they are effectively isolated from other patients in the hospital building. The one-stop service has been operating since June 1, 2020.
Mr. Bunn Kasemsup, Head of SCG Home Retail and Distribution Business, on behalf of SCG Foundation, added that the Modular Screening & Swab Unit intertwines the SCG’s technologies of SCG HEIM and Living Solution. The testing room reserved for suspected COVID-19 cases is designed with Smart Indoor Air Quality (IAQ Smart), which maintains adequate air pressure and airflow to ensure clean and safe air. The airtightness system will keep the unit sealed and prevent air migration, resulting in effective pressure control in the room. Healthcare workers will be in a positive pressure room where the contaminated air will be barred to ensure a clean and safe environment. The suspected patients will be in a negatively pressurized room equipped with constant suction to prevent the virus from escaping, ensuring safety among medical teams. The swabbing process is performed through an acrylic sheet that allows doctors to insert their hands through a plastic glove-covered slot to collect the sample, lowering the risk of contracting the virus from patients. Plus, the UV germicide, concentrated UV radiation, is applied to kill the virus after each use. About 80 percent of the structure is made in SCG’s factories where the quality and the cleanliness of the units are under control throughout the manufacturing process. The structure is designed for quick and easy installation and reduces the risk of infections among healthcare workers and patients while offering quicker and more effective testing results.
Mr. Witoon Suriyawanakul, CEO of Siam Global House Pcl., said that since the early outbreak of COVID-19 to the preparedness for the second wave of infections, front line workers at the hospital have persistently provided screening and testing services for suspected cases prior to the treatment. On behalf of Siam Global House, the company is part of Roi Et province as it is home to company’s main office, and the company’s partners and employees are people from Roi Et and neighboring provinces. We realized that Roi Et Hospital is a large hospital tasked with managing care for people of Roi Et and nearby provinces in the northeast that is still in need of support on safety and facilitation for healthcare workers and patients.
