Medical science in Nigeria was, on Tuesday, taken a step higher as Flying Doctors Nigeria, the premier air ambulance and medical emergency evacuation company in West Africa, unveiled the latest addition to their catalogue of medical equipment, the isolation pod (Isopod).
The isolation pod, better described in the medical field as the biological isolation transport unit, is a temporary shelter used to provide medical isolation for patients with infectious diseases. They are capsules primarily used to provide isolation when transporting patients by either air or land.
The Isopod is designed to enable an efficient air transfer of patients with highly contagious diseases, like the COVID-19, while ensuring absolute safety of both the medical and aviation crew.
“This is another example of our innovative and forward-thinking mien as an organization,” Jibayo Oyedele, Medical Director for Flying Doctors, noted at the private unveiling of the new product.
“From the conceptualization of the business over a decade ago, to our remarkable success over the years and now the availability of the Isolation pod, our focus has always been to ensure that exceptional healthcare services are available to people in their locations of choice,” he added.
Oyedele assured that with the Isolation pod, they were able to evacuate and transport COVID-19 patients to their preferred destination to access medical care without the risk of cross-infection to the medical and aviation crew.
He explained that patients who have tested positive for infectious diseases such as the COVID-19 can only be transported where there is a barrier between the healthcare providers and such patients. Such transportation process will also require extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE), from evacuation to arrival and admission.
He noted further that there is also an emotional trauma caused by fear and loneliness as the evacuee is mostly always transported without any family member or friends close by. This has also significantly hampered the evacuation of foreign nationals resident in Nigeria who are desirous of returning to their home countries, or some other locations, to get preferred medical care.
“An isolation pod significantly reduces the need for PPE as it would only be needed during the loading and unloading of the patients. During the flight, the built in-gloves in the isolation pod can be used by the flight doctor to attend to the patients as required.
“Because of the safety of the Pod, a patient can also be accompanied by designated friend or family without the fear of cross infection. The presence of a familiar face will be reassuring and comforting, reducing the potential fear that the patient may have” he said.
Oyedele pointed out that following the implementation of a standard suiting process specific to COVID-19 operations, and the rigorous training of their medical and aviation crew, medical evacuation with the Isopod is now available to the public.
