KUANTAN (Bernama): A doctor’s idea for a cubicle that prevents Covid-19 transmissions during the screening process came into fruition on Sunday (April 5) when it was set up for the first time in front of the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) emergency unit here.

The "I3S Cubicle” is the brainchild of Dr Ahmed Kamarulzaman, and the white-coloured cubicle cost RM13,000 to produce and took only a day to be completed.

Dr Ahmed started work on the cubicle on April 2 at a factory in Kajang, Selangor, with I3S standing for I; Isolate), 3; Examine and S; Sampling.

"The idea to produce this cubicle came up in the middle of last month, with the intention to help healthcare personnel from continuously worrying about the risk of virus transmission while taking samples from suspected individuals.

"Besides that, the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) which was becoming more and more crucial, had pushed our team to finish this project as fast as possible,” he told reporters here after the I3S Cubicle installation at HTAA here Sunday.

Dr Ahmed, who owns a clinic here, said the two compartments inside the cubicle separate health personnel from the patient, so they will not share the same air, except by the use of special gloves, resulting in no direct contact between the two.

"The I3S Cubicle is effective in separating medical officers from the patient during sampling, such as when performing throat swabs. It is also equipped with good ventilation,” he said.

Dr Ahmed said the effort was supported by various parties such as the Muamalat Belia Foundation, University Teknologi Malaysia, Alfa KotaSAS clinic, and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation besides receiving a positive response from the Health Ministry.

Dr Ahmed, who lives in the district, said for geographical reasons, HTAA became the first choice for the cubicle to be installed as it enabled him to monitor the effectiveness of the innovation following the implementation of the movement control order.

He said his team has received requests to produce more I3S Cubicles for healthcare facilities, especially in Covid-19 red zones, and are currently looking for funding. - Bernama