Colombia: Amid rising Covid-19 cases, Company develops hospital bed that converts into coffin

Team Udayavani, May 24, 2020, 3:04 PM IST

A Colombian company has created a hospital bed from cardboard that can turn into a coffin if a Covid-19 patient dies.

The pandemic has caused overcrowding at hospitals and funeral homes elsewhere in Colombia and a Bogota-based firm ABC Displays seeks to help address a shortage of hospital beds and facilitate the safe management of corpses.

Company’s manager, Rodolfo Gomez, said that the bed is biodegradable, weighs 150 kg and costs three times less than a normal one, also meets the requirements of comfort and functionality.

Rodolfo Gomez said, “We developed it because of the situation caused by Covid-19 in the world because we realised that there was a lack of hospital beds”

The company claims to be able to produce up to 300 beds a month and even export them. The hospital beds manufactured by ABC Displays have a corrugated cardboard structure and feature metal railings and a reusable base.

The bed also has wheels to facilitate movement and can be disinfected as there is lacquer applied that covers the cardboard and has a shelf life of six months.