Coronavirus: Now robot ‘Robo Warrior’ assists patients at this Pune hospital
Pune, April 29, 2020: Even after the health emergency was declared in Pune and strict curfew being implemented, the number of Coronavirus COVID19 patients is increasing daily. In such a situation, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel General Hospital of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has taken the help of a robot called ’Robo Warrior’ to serve the patients suffering from Coronavirus, providing relief to the staffs there.
There are over 1400 coronavirus patients in Pune city and district till date. Many healthcare staffs in the country have been infected while handling COVID19 patients at hospitals. Ward staff often suffer. The number of COVID infected patients has been increasing in the last few days in the Pune Cantonment area and the suburbs.
Some of these patients have been admitted to the COVID ward set up by Pune Cantonment Board’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel General Hospital in Camp for treatment. The robot is being used to provide water, tea, snacks and meals to patients. This robot was tested recently and it has been successful. So now this robot is working at full capacity in this ward.
PCB CEO Amit Kumar said, “In a scenario where health workers are increasingly diagnosed positive due to close interaction with patients in a bid to reduce human interaction ITI team has assembled a small robot named Robo Warrior which is being used to supply food and medicines in the isolation ward. The total cost is Rs 38000 which has been sponsored by one of the contractors of the board.”
He further said, “Robo Warrior has a pathfinder camera and two-way communication system. It can handle around 20 to 25 kg of weight. It is a battery-operated vehicle and can work continuously for two hours. It has 3-speed levels which can be locally and remotely controlled. The Cantt hospital on being declared as 100 bedded dedicated COVID hospital is presently providing treatment to 32 COVI19 positive patients besides there are suspected patients too.”
Dr Vidyadhar Gaikwad, Resident Medical Officer, Sardar Patel Hospital, said that the teachers and students at the cantonment board’s Dr Ambedkar Industrial Training Institute (ITI) quickly built the robot to serve the patients and made it available to the ward with equal promptness. As a result, the employees have received sigh of relief. The robot has been created to provide prompt service to patients admitted for treatment at the hospital. On the one hand, the Center and the state government are working day and night to curb Coronavirus outbreak, while on the other hand, the Pune Cantonment Board is doing this experiment to increase the enthusiasm of the health department staff.
