Immediately after the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, one of the things that became quite evident was the array of issues within the healthcare system and in the standard methods of operation. Many things that were inconvenient prior to the pandemic became gaping holes in the fabric of healthcare that needed to be addressed and resolved. 

Of course many other and newer issues arose strictly from the pandemic as well, such as the unprecedented staffing shortage we are still experiencing. 

In larger medical facilities, such as hospitals, one of the most time consuming things is taking things like labs, medicines, and blood from one place to another within the facility. This not only uses valuable time, which became more of an issue during the pandemic, but it also requires medically trained staff to be used as couriers rather than being able to help patients. 

This system of transport and delivery is antiquated and has been taking up too many resources for far too long, particularly since there is a much better system readily available. 

A highly successful and highly available solution to the problem is the use of pneumatic tubes. We’re all familiar with banks using this system, as they have been since the 1990’s, but they aren’t the only ones who can benefit from such speedy and easy delivery. 

Pneumatic tubes can and should be used in medical facilities. The pneumatic system can easily be installed within the walls of the facility and can transport materials at a speed of 25 feet per second, thus freeing up time, staff, and even money. 

One example of this working system is at the Stanford Children’s Hospital, where they were able to transport 7,000 tubes per day in 2010. These tubes can connect to all areas of the medical facility and can travel the furthest distance from one end of the facility to the next in less than 5 minutes. This is an easy and clear solution to one of the most prevalent issues facing any large medical facility.