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Smart hospital mobility is today transforming patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Considering the importance of infection control in shared spaces, elevators, which are no longer just about moving people and equipment, are today becoming integral to patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and the overall resilience of healthcare infrastructure, informs Manish Mehan, CEO & MD, TK Elevator India.
He further adds that elevators, which see constant traffic in hospitals, are being redesigned with touchless interfaces, antimicrobial surfaces, and app-based or voice controls to reduce contact points. These upgrades not only support hygiene protocols but also ease patient and visitor anxiety around shared mobility.
Mehan explains that India’s healthcare sector is on a fast growth trajectory, projected to reach USD 774 billion by 2030. This expansion is not only about more hospitals or beds; it is about reimagining how hospitals are designed and operated to deliver faster, safer, and more efficient patient care. In this transformation journey, one critical yet often overlooked enabler is hospital mobility including elevators and vertical transport systems that connect every function of a hospital.
He further explains that the future of hospital mobility in India lies in deeper integration with digital health ecosystems. We will increasingly see elevators linked to hospital information systems (HIS), allowing automatic scheduling of patient transfers from wards to diagnostic or surgical departments. As modular hospital designs gain traction, flexible and adaptable elevator systems will support rapid expansion of facilities.
At the same time, specialised stretcher-sized elevators with high-capacity load-bearing systems are becoming a standard in tertiary hospitals. These ensure smooth transfers of beds, medical equipment, and critical care teams without delays or bottlenecks. Some systems also come with emergency prioritisation modes, where a “code blue” signal automatically overrides other requests to speed up transport for cardiac arrest or trauma patients.
“Next-generation mobility solutions are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence and IoT. TWIN elevator system has been known to reducing waiting times by 80% in average passenger waiting time and a 60% in average elevator travel time. Predictive maintenance solutions such as MAX, powered by IoT-enabled sensors can reduce downtime by up to 50%, which further benefit in offering precise diagnoses, actionable insights and predictive interventions,” Mehan says.
In modern hospitals, mobility is no longer a utility; it is part of the care continuum. A 30–60 second delay in transferring a patient to an ICU, operating room, or diagnostic unit can directly impact clinical outcomes. Similarly, studies indicate that hospital staff spend a significant time on patient and equipment transport, time that could otherwise be devoted to direct clinical duties. Elevators, when equipped with smart technologies, help close this efficiency gap while also addressing hygiene and emergency preparedness.
Energy efficiency is another priority. Regenerative drive technologies, which feed excess energy back into the grid, are helping hospitals cut energy bills while aligning with India’s growing focus on green hospital certifications such as LEED and IGBC.
“The impact of smart elevator technologies is evident: reduced wait times through intelligent dispatch systems ensure faster transfers to diagnostics, surgeries, or ICUs; emergency prioritisation modes enable quicker response in critical cases and thus improving patient safety. Besides this, advanced automation features optimise elevator allocation, preventing delays and congestion in peak hours; while touchless controls and antimicrobial surfaces enhance hygiene, reducing the risk of infection spread. Together, these features are redefining elevators as critical clinical infrastructure rather than just transport systems,” Mehan concludes.
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