Shanghai company donates 3D printed quarantine wards to Hubei hospital

Shanghai-based Winsun Building Technique Co Ltd on Tuesday donated 15 quarantine wards made using 3D printing technology to a hospital in Hubei province.

Xiang Xinghua, deputy Party chief of Xianning city in Hubei province, had previously approached Winsun chairman Ma Yihe for assistance after the latter had on Monday published a post on his WeChat saying that the company would be willing to donate its wards to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

According to Winsun, all 15 portable wards were completed and prepped for delivery on Monday. The wards were installed in the hospital on Wednesday before becoming operational on Thursday.

According to Ma, each quarantine ward measures 10 square meters and can accommodate two beds. The structures, each of which cost 20,000 yuan ($2,864), are made of recycled industrial residue and construction materials, and have been designed to withstand strong winds and earthquakes. Every ward also comes with a separate toilet compartment.

He added that Winsun currently has 20 printing machines, each of which can produce a ward in just two hours.

Established in 2003, Winsun has cooperative arrangements with a host of factories located in Shanghai, Suzhou, Zhangjiagang and Heze.