ZWCAD: Keys to designing great healthcare facilities for Ahl Masr Foundation
The Ahl Masr Hospital serves burn and trauma victims with comprehensive, advanced medical treatments
Founded over a decade ago, the Ahl Masr Foundation and Hospital is a leading not-for-profit hospital and research center that offers free treatment of trauma and burn victims in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa. The Ahl Masr Hospital serves burn and trauma victims with comprehensive, advanced medical treatments. The hospital also strives to uplift the human spirit through personalised care that not only heals the body but also offers hope, love, and a helping hand during life’s most challenging moments.
The Ahl Masr Foundation and Hospital is located in New Cairo with a built-up area of 45,245sqm and eventually aims to receive over 300,000 patients per year, operating an intensive care unit, an incubator department, a surgical department, specialised clinics, and laser treatment.
Designing a High-Performance Healing Environment
Determined to improve patient outcomes and experiences, the hospital has made significant investments in its site over the past ten years, developing several new services and pathways. However, the management feels like there is room to grow to provide a better experience for patients. The engineering department of the hospital continues to innovate the infrastructure to create a safer, more comfortable, and improved experience for patients. Besides building infrastructure, medical furniture also has a greater impact on almost every aspect of a healthcare facility, from functionality to aesthetics.
Leveraging ZWCAD’s Specialized Toolsets for Planning, Design, and Construction
Due to the massive size of the hospital, it was a tedious task for the hospital’s engineering team to handle facility management, manage hospital infrastructure data provided by architects and contractors associated with the hospital, work on building maintenance projects, and redesign interiors and furniture. Most of the data available was in the form of AutoCAD (.dwg) file format. Ahl Masr’s team started searching for an integrated solution that combines powerful 2D functionalities and helps them in their design workflow while at the same time optimizing the cost of procuring and maintaining software. After a precise study of the hospital’s needs, the team selected ZWCAD.
“During our search for alternatives to AutoCAD, we explored several options. However, we discovered that ZWCAD stood out due to its remarkable user-friendliness, appropriate functionalities that align with our team’s needs, provision of a perpetual license, and affordability,” said Eng. Islam Abdelsamie, Senior Project Engineer.
When the hospital’s engineering team approached ZWSOFT, after learning more about Ahl Masr’s noble work in serving the humanity with utmost compassion and with selfless devotion. In response, ZWSOFT decided to donate ZWCAD licenses to Ahl Mahr Foundation to fulfil its role of social responsibility towards burn victims.
Upon transitioning to ZWCAD, Ahl Masr’s engineering team initiated the renovation of the hospital’s sixth-floor furnishings. The goal was to establish an environment that prioritised patient safety, comfort, and overall experience. Through close collaboration with the medical staff, the engineering team designed and executed healthcare furniture and facilities that were carefully crafted to support the healing process effectively.
Leveraging ZWCAD’s specialised toolsets provided the ability to create, edit, and annotate the 2D models within the interface. The existing floor plan drawings were used to modify, analyse, and rearrange the furniture. ZWCAD facilitated creativity through 2D drawings for both wooden and metal furniture, thus increasing the overall speed and precision of manufacturing.
Additionally, Ahl Masr’s team regularly ensures the efficient functionality of the hospital within the built-up area and in accordance with local laws and planning guidelines. This is necessary to ensure full compliance with international hospital quality accreditation. The engineering team at Ahl Masr employs ZWCAD to produce construction documents that adhere to the relevant regulations and standards. They collaborate with medical staff and patients to make improvements to the existing infrastructure, using feedback to guide their efforts. ZWCAD is used to edit available architectural drawings and apply forward-looking ideas to existing facilities, which play a significant role in the patient recovery process.
“ZWCAD proves to be a robust and flexible tool, boasting an impressive range of features that greatly facilitated the achievement of our precise design goals for hospital infrastructure and interiors.” concluded Eng. Mostafa Seleem, IT Director.
