BHISHM medical cubes deployed in J&K hospitals under Aarogya Maitri project

BHISHM cubes, the indigenous portable modular medical facility, are being deployed at prominent hospitals such as AIIMS Jammu and SKIMS Srinagar near India's border under the government's Aarogya Maitri project to bolster medical readiness, officials said on Friday.

The development comes on the heels of Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday reviewing health infrastructure preparedness across hospitals in the country amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor and the ongoing India-Pakistan military conflict, official sources said.

These BHISHM cubes are also being stationed in other Institutes of National Importance (INIs) across India, including AIIMS in Rishikesh, Bilaspur and Delhi, they said.

"We are also providing operational training to the respective medical institutes where BHISHM cubes have been deployed. So far two BHISHM cubes have been deployed at AIIMS, Jammu and more are being diverted to this centre.

"Besides, around 35 other BHISHM cubes so far have been deployed across other Institutes of National Importance (INIs) across India," said Air Vice Marshal Dr Tanmoy Roy, HLL Lifecare.

Dr Roy said HLL Life Care Ltd under the Union Health Ministry is the nodal agency for the procurement and deployment of Aarogya Maitri Cube.

BHISHM cubes are portable and rapidly deployable modular medical facilities to provide emergency lifesaving clinical care in the event of disaster or public health emergencies.

Each cube is equipped with medicines and surgical equipment for basic operations, and it has the capacity to handle around 200 diverse emergency cases.

The cube comprises 72 easily transportable components, designed for versatile delivery methods including hand-carry, bicycle or even drone transport.

The aid cube is equipped with several innovative tools designed to enhance disaster response and medical support during emergencies. It integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics to facilitate effective coordination, real-time monitoring and efficient management of medical services in the field.

Being robust, waterproof and lightweight, the cubes are also built to withstand harsh conditions. Their flexible configuration allows deployment in diverse emergency scenarios. The system can be quickly dispatched via airdrop or ground transportation, ensuring swift response to crises anywhere.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various ministries and called for continued alertness and clear communication, while reaffirming the government's commitment to national security and operational preparedness.

The Indian armed forces are on high alert in the wake of the current hostilities between New Delhi and Islamabad following the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22 and India's strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation.

Pakistani forces are targetting border areas on the Indian side, killing at least 13 people and injuring others.