Cardboard beds from India ready for UAE quarantine distribution
Described as one of the top 10 innovations during the pandemic
Dubai: Cardboard disposable beds for coronavirus quarantine centres are now available in the UAE.
The low-cost 100 per cent recyclable bed is made high strength corrugated board made from high performance grade craft paper that is easy to transport and assemble.
Mahesh Kumar of Regent Trading in the UAE, who has imported the beds said, “The bed has is a feat of engineering. Although the bed is only 10-kg in weight but it is engineered to carry 200-kg weight. It is coated with a chemical that enables it to withstand liquids so the surface can be mopped, and disinfectant can be used.”
He added: “A lot of thought and ingenuity has ensured it meets the needs of quarantine centres in the current conditions.”
The beds are easy to assemble – the pieces fit like a jigsaw ensuring the structure is sturdy and secure. Instructions are clear and no instruments or tools are required – not even nails or hammers. The design has taken care of aesthetics as well. Varied bright cheerful colours have been used to add liveliness to quarantine centres and lift the spirits of patients.
More than 50,000 beds are in use in India today across 30 cities and over 100 facilities. The manufacturer has received enquiries for them across the world – from Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Regent General Trading are appointed sole agents for the region and have already imported the first consignment of 500 beds.
Recyclable cardboard is particularly relevant to COVID-19 conditions because cardboard stays infected for 24 hours only whilst the virus can stay on plastic surfaces for three days and on metal for four to seven days according to healthline.com (a site with more than 234 million monthly unique users). The disposability factor makes it even more attractive in containing infection.
The new concept has been recognised by the Prime Minister’s office in India for one of the top 10 innovations during the COVID-19 crisis. The originators and manufacturers of the bed, Aryan Paper Mill, located in the western state of Gujarat have filed a patent for the product.
In the current situation, the beds are well suited to quarantine centres and they are fulfilling demand across the world. Once work is normalised they will be well suited for fitting out workers accommodation.