The Definitive Guide to Mobile Units for Municipal Governments

Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Units for Municipal Governments or The Definitive Guide to Mobile Units for Municipal Governments

What the Mobile Unit can do for your municipality. Learn all about it—and more—with Eco X in the definitive guide to mobile units for city governments.

1. Mobile Units – From Design to Delivery
2. How local governments are gaining efficiency and reducing costs with mobile units
3. Mobile Units Ideal for Municipal Governments
4. Benefits of Mobile Health Units for Municipal Governments
5. How the contracting process works: models – Purchase or Lease
6. Is Renting Portable Units for City Halls Worth It?
7. Purchase Mobile Health Units
8. Can I use a technical design from another city government?
9. Which platforms and formats are most visible to the public?
10. Municipalities that already use Eco X mobile units
11. Eco X Mobile Units Support Tourism in Municipalities
12. How do you choose a manufacturer of mobile units for your municipality?

Mobile Units – From Design to Delivery

A Mobile Unit is created based on the concept of a mobile service or activity provided by a company, organization, or government agency. Adapted and converted from vehicles (trucks, buses, vans, trailers, etc.), mobile units can serve a variety of purposes: Mobile Health Unit, Mobile Showroom, Mobile Office, Mobile Workshop, Mobile School, Mobile Public Safety Unit, and so on.

Let’s learn how the process of manufacturing mobile units works from an expert in the field. We’re talking about Eco X Vehicle Conversions and Transformations into Mobile Units.

To begin with, Eco X seeks to understand the client’s intended specialty for the mobile unit, how patient care will be provided for each specialty, and how many examination rooms will be included in the unit—in the case of a mobile health unit, for example.
Next, the manufacturer works to recommend and present the complete solution. In the case of a Mobile Health Bus, for example, the complete solution will define the types of chassis and bodywork, the terrain conditions of the operation, and which equipment will be installed—such as a mammography machine, X-ray machine, or other more sensitive equipment.

Once the complete solution has been defined, the manufacturer begins working on the modular layout of the mobile unit. In the case of a mobile unit for women’s health, it will be equipped with a mammography machine, medical equipment, and all the necessary support for gynecological care, a full bathroom, and other specialties required for the application.

How local governments are gaining efficiency and reducing costs with mobile units

Local governments can streamline operations and even reduce costs by using mobile units. The Eco X Mobile Units, for example, are helping to eliminate waiting lists for medical exams and appointments across the country, in both the public and private healthcare sectors.

The company operates numerous mobile units providing medical and dental care through initiatives, projects, and services throughout Brazil. The Mobile Van Unit for Clinical Care for State and Local Governments, for example, can perform 660 mobile consultations per month across various clinical specialties and a wide range of tests (blood tests, X-rays, electrocardiograms, and others).

The Van Eco X Mobile Units are fully equipped to provide medical care and perform tests right in the vehicle, just as if the patient were in a hospital or clinic. To give you an idea, these vehicles are equipped with devices such as blood pressure monitors, ECGs (electrocardiograms), EEGs (electroencephalograms), ophthalmoscopes, and more, in addition to waiting and examination rooms, a retractable awning, restrooms with sinks, and more.

One of Eco X’s major healthcare initiatives is the CT Scan Unit for Combating Coronavirus. With a capacity of up to 1,200 patients per month, these mobile units—converted from shipping containers—are equipped with state-of-the-art, fully-featured CT scanners and all the necessary equipment for emergency care, as well as fixed modular rooms with metal frameworks. They also serve as transportable modules attached to field hospitals.

Eco X has also converted a van into a Mobile Dental Unit (UOM). This is a Transbox leased in Frutal, in the interior of São Paulo, as part of a project for a mobile dental care unit run by BOMPAR—the Nossa Senhora do Bom Parto Social Center—in collaboration with the local government and the Unified Health System (SUS). It is a fully equipped mobile dental office, featuring thermal and acoustic insulation; LED lighting; piped water supply; cabinets; sinks with a swing-out trash can; toothbrushing stations; a 32-inch TV with a DVD player; a side awning; and other equipment for mobile care.

Eco X’s Mobile Mammography Unit, designed for examinations and diagnostics in its traveling health programs, features a lead-shielded mammography room; a lateral view room; air conditioning; external 220V and 380V power connections; thermal insulation; and more.

Another women’s healthcare vehicle created by Eco X is the mobile gynecological unit. Built on the basis of a box truck and equipped to perform gynecological exams, this fully-fledged healthcare clinic features hospital-grade equipment and infrastructure specifically designed for this purpose, as well as fiberglass paneling, custom-built furniture, and other equipment.

Eco X also developed a Mobile Ophthalmology Van for the city of Saquarema, in Rio de Janeiro, with the capacity to perform approximately 600 consultations per month, in addition to providing information and education to the public through campaigns and the distribution of brochures and informational materials. Converted and adapted from a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, this true medical clinic on wheels is equipped with the most modern mobile healthcare equipment, including a PRK-8000 Auto Refractor, an ophthalmoscope, a slit lamp, a retinoscope, a pachymeter, an air tonometer, and a visual field tester, among other devices.

Mobile Units Ideal for Municipal Governments

For municipalities, Mobile Units primarily provide healthcare services through traveling campaigns. These are vehicles adapted for municipal primary healthcare services—including buses, trucks, vans, trailers, and others—that offer clinical, gynecological, dental, and ophthalmological care, as well as vaccinations and other services.

Benefits of Mobile Health Units for Municipal Governments

Converting vehicles into mobile units for municipal health services is a challenging task, but one that can be achieved through a multi-pronged approach. Eco X is a leading name in the market when it comes to mobile units for medical, dental, and occupational health care.

Developed by Eco X, the so-called UOM (Mobile Dental Unit) and USM (Mobile Health Unit) were adapted and converted from a Renault Master van. The Mobile Dental Unit is fully equipped with all the necessary equipment and resources for this type of care: a dental chair, lighting, sinks, faucets, countertops, and cabinets, as well as a retractable awning, air conditioning, a compressor, and more.

In addition to workbenches, cabinets, sinks, and faucets, the Mobile Health Unit is equipped with a stretcher, a prescription desk, a blood-drawing chair, and everything else needed for medical and clinical care. The mobile unit also features an air conditioning system and a retractable awning.

For example, through the Mobile Dental Care Unit, it is possible to bring the same high-quality care provided in a dental office to people living in remote or hard-to-reach areas. With this mobile unit, it is possible to perform basic treatments such as cleanings, extractions, fillings, and more.

The Mobile Health Unit is an option for treating patients with chronic conditions or those who require regular medical follow-up. The use of the Mobile Health Van has proven highly effective in promoting access to healthcare in more remote areas, such as rural regions. In other words, residents of remote areas will no longer need to travel miles to receive care at fixed facilities (health clinics, medical centers, hospitals).

How the contracting process works: models – Purchase or Lease

There are two models for contracting mobile units. Municipal governments have the option of purchasing or leasing mobile units for their health and other projects.
The municipality can secure funding through a legislative amendment or bank financing to purchase mobile units. For leasing, however, all that is required is a budget plan.

Is Renting Portable Units for City Halls Worth It?

One of the main advantages of renting mobile healthcare units is the cost, particularly for seasonal or short-term primary care campaigns and initiatives, for example. Or even to test a business model and assess the feasibility of implementing it.

In addition, renting mobile units makes it possible to take immediate action with a very small investment. This could include social projects or even immediate measures to reduce the workload at emergency care units (UPAs).

Eco X’s lease agreements for mobile healthcare units and other applications range from 6 months to 3 years and up to 5 years. They include all preventive and corrective maintenance for the vehicles and onboard equipment, as well as after-sales service with local technical support to ensure the effective use of the mobile unit.

Purchase Mobile Health Units

The acquisition of a mobile health unit also offers numerous advantages. In this case, the focus is on addressing medium- to long-term needs by helping the public sector reduce waiting lists.

Purchasing a Mobile Health Unit opens up opportunities for business expansion. In particular, it allows you to launch a new mobile healthcare service for your brand or company, enabling you to provide services year-round, anywhere—including at your clients’ own facilities.

In addition to opening up new service and sales channels, having your own mobile health unit generates brand exposure through the logo displayed on its exterior, increasing the visibility of your product or service. Not to mention the resale value of these mobile units.

Can I use a technical design from another city government?

Yes, Eco X can provide the designs and technical specifications for the mobile units delivered to other municipalities. These are safe designs involving highly complex engineering that comply with current legislation and applicable standards.

Which platforms and formats are most visible to the public?

The platforms with the greatest visibility are the mobile units built on semi-trailers and larger structures. However, the type of chassis (platform) is determined by the operation and the terrain the mobile unit must navigate.

Eco X, for example, offers solutions for all needs and terrains. To that end, we have developed the Off-Road Mobile Health Unit.

Converted and adapted from a new bus, designed for all terrains, this Mobile Health Unit stands out for its high-clearance suspension, differential lock, innovative air intake system, and reinforced drivetrain.
A true mobile medical and dental clinic, designed to bring healthcare to hard-to-reach rural areas, on off-road terrain with mud, rocks, dirt, in the rain, and more.

The Off-Road Mobile Unit has virtually the same infrastructure and equipment as an outpatient clinic or medical center and has the capacity to handle up to 1,320 patient visits per month. This includes a stretcher, a prescription desk, a blood-drawing chair, a workbench, cabinets, lighting, sinks, and faucets, etc.

The converted bus can accommodate a crew of up to six, offering excellent comfort during travel and an elevator for accessibility. It also features an air-conditioned interior reception area, strategic lighting, a modern, computer-equipped environment with Wi-Fi, a 220V external power supply, hydraulic access points, a retractable awning with automatic opening, spotlights, and more.

Municipalities that already use Eco X mobile units

Eco X has numerous examples of municipalities that are already successfully using mobile units. This is the case in the municipalities of Buritizeiro and Santa Rita da Paraíba.

Buriti palm – For the municipality of Buritizeiro, we developed a mobile unit project based on a rural bus platform. This vehicle is designed to reach hard-to-access areas and serve the rural parts of the municipality—in other words, precisely those who most need medical care to come to them.

Also noteworthy is the mobile unit developed for the city of Santa Rita da Paraíba, a municipality neighboring the state capital, João Pessoa. Converted and adapted from a truck with independent suspension, it features four treatment rooms, all of which are wheelchair-accessible and equipped with accessible restrooms.

This mobile unit is also equipped with a state-of-the-art air circulation system. All of this is designed to ensure the health and safety of the people it serves, as well as the professionals working in the unit.

Eco X Mobile Units Support Tourism in Municipalities

Other successful Eco X projects for the public sector include mobile tourist assistance units. The well-known Mobile CATs (Tourist Assistance Centers) in mobile tourism units have been used successfully for some time in the country’s major tourist destinations.

Eco X is one of the manufacturers of the Mobile Tourist Assistance Unit. In Maceió, for example, the company converted and adapted a Renault Master van into the CAT Móvel to assist tourists in the region—a mobile unit made possible through a funding agreement with the Ministry of Tourism.

In Cuiabá, two Fiat Ducato vans have been converted into mobile tourism units for the local CAT Móvel program, both equipped with computers, internet access, air conditioning, and space for providing on-the-go services to tourists.

Another Eco X Mobile CAT in Recife is a minibus-style mobile unit. The Mobile Tourist Assistance Unit provided by the Department of Tourism and Leisure of the capital of Pernambuco stands out for its accessibility, featuring a lift platform for wheelchair users; in addition to a service area with tables and chairs; a lounge with an armchair and television; shelves displaying handicrafts; a kitchenette; a restroom; and air conditioning.

CAT Móvel originated from a federal government program. The Tourist Assistance Centers are located throughout all major tourist cities, including Manaus, Salvador, Maceió, Cuiabá, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Fortaleza, Vitória, and others.

Mobile CATs are installed in vehicles (trucks, buses, minibuses, vans, and cargo vans) that have been converted or adapted by companies such as Eco X, complementing the services provided at fixed locations in containers or service counters at bus stations and airports.

How do you choose a manufacturer of mobile units for your municipality?

A company that converts and customizes mobile units must be fully equipped to meet the stringent requirements of municipal government tenders. This is the case with Eco X, one of the leading manufacturers of mobile units in the market.

Let’s take a look at the five qualities of a reliable mobile unit manufacturer—all of which Eco X Adaptações e Transformações meets.

1 – CUSTOMIZATION. “A mobile unit conversion company must be able to understand and meet the unique and specific needs of its customers by offering a wide variety of customization options: from interior layout to material selection.”

– Eco X converts and customizes vehicles (vans, trucks, buses, trailers, containers, etc.) into mobile units for healthcare, public safety, showrooms, mobile service offices, and much more.

2 – QUALITY. “The quality of the materials used in the conversion of mobile units can significantly affect their functionality, service life, appearance, and durability, as well as the work of specialized professionals.”

– Eco X operates a 10,000-square-meter industrial park with more than 85 direct employees, a production capacity of 240 units per year, and state-of-the-art technologies, including a modern laboratory for prototyping mobile units.

3 – DELIVERY. “The conversion and customization company must have an efficient production management system to deliver high-quality mobile units on time.”

– Eco X isn’t just a manufacturer of mobile units; it’s a provider of complete mobile solutions—from the initial concept to the perfect final solution for your application!

4 – CUSTOMER SUPPORT. “Customer support should be a priority for any mobile device manufacturing company.”

– Eco X customers receive support from the planning phase through to project completion and throughout the entire service life of the mobile unit, should they require technical assistance.

5 – CUSTOMERS. “The mobile unit conversion company has a solid customer base.”

– Eco X has a broad portfolio of satisfied and successfully served clients: Caio, Comil, Volkswagen Man, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Volvo, Santander, JSL, Souza Cruz, TAM, Azul, Manupa, and many others.

*Please note that, although this guide is comprehensive and informative, it does not exempt you from or replace the need to follow the recommendations of the certified company.

Each piece of equipment is unique and requires individualized attention.