Since the last week of March this year, it has been anything but business as usual. The situation created by COVID-19 has thrown several businesses completely off-gear with no near-term sign of recovery. The need for social distancing, in particular, posed a challenge very few were prepared for. One of the hardest-hit areas has been the healthcare ecosystem that was expected to test millions and treat those infected while trying to contain the wider spread of the virus.

In the midst of all the confusion and anxiety created by the pandemic, the construction sector stepped in and quietly went about creating a parallel healthcare infrastructure that has managed to provide a safer environment for the masses. This was made possible by a handful of relatively new technologies, including prefabricated construction that enabled building components offsite, after which assembly and installation take place at the construction site. Constructing fully operational medical facilities would not have been possible if not for prefabricated construction. Prefabricated building components include structural frames, wall panels, doors, windows, floor systems, and electrical and plumbing fitments.

The role of technology in construction has been crucial in the battle against the pandemic, writes P Anand, Chief, Services & Solutions, Tata Steel.

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