Walk-In Sample Collection kiosk becomes part of Indian Navy

Kochi: An indigenously built COVID WISK (Walk-in Swab Collection Kiosk) for safe collection of samples of symptomatic people has become part of the Indian Navy.

The kiosk provides physical and psychological support for the health staff during swab collection and more importantly saves PPE consumption.

Inspired by South Korea’s innovative way of testing for COVID-19 symptoms, a Government Medical College Hospital here had last month set up low cost kiosks at its premises for safe collection of samples of symptomatic people.

The Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), here reshaped it in line with Navy’s suggestion to make them portable for compatibility in ambulance and helicopters.

“The cost-effective design, using low cost materials, configures the product as “knock-down kits”, which are easy to transport as multiple units, requiring lower transit space envelopes,” a Defence spokesman said here on Saturday.

The product is easy to assemble at site, has better internal air circulation and can be installed outdoors also.

It is also designed keeping Indian anthropometric parameters in mind, thereby enhancing the ergonomics, he said.

The kiosks were handed over to Surgeon Commodore Arti Sarin, Command Medical Officer (CMO), Southern Naval Command by Sameer Abdul Azeez and his team from NPOL on Friday, the Defence spokesman said.

A demonstration of the WISK was conducted at INS Garuda airfield by dismantling and loading of WISK in a helicopter.