Premium coaches for the healthcare

The flexibility and major capacity for customisation and adaptation to the needs of our customers means that we can offer a wide range of options, aimed at converting Premium or high-end vehicles into vehicles for multiple uses.

For example, the Irizar i8 and Irizar i6S models, coaches that are very well received in the Premium market and whose versatility make it easy to design and create all kinds of interior layouts.

This year we have seen how the health sector has added to the demand for this type of vehicle for transferring patients or donating blood.

Two ambulance vehicles equipped with all kinds of medical facilities are already operating in the Värmland region in Sweden for the simultaneous movement to hospital of several patients on stretchers and in wheelchairs.

These are two Irizar i6S coaches, 15 m long, built on Scania chassis and with different spaces: the front area has 21 seats with USB sockets and plugs, to transport 18 patients, and 3 healthcare workers; the central area includes bathrooms adapted for PMR and the rear area is fitted out for patients who require wheelchairs or stretchers – total capacity for 6 stretchers or 4 wheelchairs or a combination of both.

The vehicle is equipped with all the technical facilities required for patient care, including oxygen and air circuits, space for 4 oxygen cylinders with a control monitor for healthcare personnel, rear cabinet and compartments to house instruments, medicines and clinical samples, plus independent air conditioning, Wi-Fi systems, air purifier and specific radio frequency system for ambulances.

In this region, responsibility for healthcare and public transport go hand in hand, so it is no surprise to see these buses running daily between Karlstad, Uppsala and Örebro transporting patients who need to travel between hospitals. In Uppsala and Örebro, where previously patients required transporting by ambulance, quality and sustainable healthcare has been restored.

The buses serve patients with healthcare needs during transport, which clearly means savings in resources, which in return, can be used in home care. The on-board staff are very satisfied with this new delivery method.

Another example is the mobile blood donation unit that will be delivered shortly, for operation in the southern area of Jutland (Denmark), where for four days it will visit various towns in the region with the aim of collecting blood to supply the central hospital in Odense.

This coach is also divided into different spaces: a waiting and doctor interview area, donation area, kitchen area and private area for health personnel. The health equipment includes reclining donation stretchers, blood bag storage refrigerators, as well as pre-installations for other necessary equipment such as blood bag balancers, etc.

As this issue nears completion, a third ambulance is being manufactured. In addition to all the aforementioned facilities, it will also have an external emergency sound and visual alert system.

Where everything is possible

Vehicles are increasingly being designed for adaptation of their space to uses where everything is possible – such as spacious lounges, training and meeting rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, places for leisure, entertainment and rest, mobile classrooms, exhibitions, massage spaces, health services, ambulances or mobile libraries. Endless Possibilities

Customers seek functionality and comfort because, in many cases, they spend a lot of time travelling and the coach becomes their second home. So, in addition to providing maximum safety, reliability, profitability, comfort, luxury and the latest technological advances, at Irizar we dedicate a host of internal and external resources to designing, developing and implementing the necessary adaptations to meet the demands of an increasingly demanding market.

Among the most common alternatives are different layouts for a lower number of maximum comfort seats kitted out with all kinds of options. There are coaches equipped with large single or double high-end bathrooms, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, wardrobes, games tables for leisure time, stretcher chairs where injured athletes can rest, freezers, washing machines, dryers, bicycle stands, changing rooms or showers, outdoor awnings and so much more.

For entertainment we offer all kinds of equipment such as fixed and retractable monitors, satellite antennas, individual sound sockets, digital terrestrial television, GPS, on-board Wi-Fi, multimedia stations with internet connection, individual monitors integrated in the seats, like on planes, plugs and USB sockets among other things. Connected mobility and technology are key; in the future, drivers and passengers will enjoy novel interaction experiences through voice or holographic assistants. The evolution of artificial intelligence and intuitive interfaces will mean that vehicles become more than mere means of transportation.