Patient Transport Stretcher Hydraulic

Hydraulic Height Adjustment and Gas-Spring Backrest for Safe Patient Transfer

The Patient Transport Hydraulic Stretcher E-2 (VM-SHE2NT) is a full-function hospital transport stretcher designed for intra-facility patient movement — between wards, from theatre to recovery, from the emergency department to imaging, and from admission to placement. The hydraulic foot-pump system adjusts platform height smoothly and silently between 460mm and 850mm, enabling staff to match the stretcher height to the receiving surface — bed, operating table, scanner, or ambulance bay — without manual lifting or awkward bridging transfers. This height matching is the central ergonomic principle of safe patient handling, and directly reduces the musculoskeletal injury risk that makes patient transfer one of the highest-risk activities for nursing and EMS staff. The epoxy-coated steel wire mesh platform provides a firm, cleanable, corrosion-resistant support surface with good air circulation, rated to a patient weight capacity of 150kg. The backrest is gas-spring assisted and adjusts from 0° (flat) to 75°, accommodating semi-recumbent positioning for conscious or dyspnoeic patients during transport. An elevating foot section provides further positional flexibility for lower limb elevation or patient comfort during extended transfers.

Side Rails, Corner Buffers, IV Pole, and Manoeuvrability

The VM-SHE2NT is fitted with folding side rails on both sides of the platform, providing continuous lateral support to prevent patient movement or falls during transport. Rails fold flat for lateral patient transfer and raise for in-motion use. Four rotating buffer wheels mounted at each corner of the frame protect walls, door frames, and equipment from contact damage in corridors, lifts, and narrow clinical spaces — a practical detail that reduces facility maintenance costs and protects equipment in high-traffic hospital environments. The height-adjustable IV pole can be mounted in any of the four corner positions, allowing drip placement on the appropriate side relative to IV access, patient position, or the direction of travel, without requiring equipment repositioning mid-transfer. Movement is controlled by four 125mm diameter castors with a central locking system, providing stable controlled direction in any orientation and locking securely when parked at the bedside, scanner table, or in a bay. The 2100mm length and 690mm width accommodate adult patients of a wide range of body sizes within standard South African hospital corridor and lift clearances.

Clinical Applications and Availability in South Africa

The Patient Transport Hydraulic Stretcher E-2 is suited to hospital wards, emergency departments, day surgery units, radiology departments, and EMS receiving areas requiring a durable, height-adjustable transport platform. The hydraulic lift eliminates the fixed-height limitation of non-adjustable stretchers, which require staff to perform bridging lifts when height differences between surfaces cannot be resolved. The epoxy-coated frame construction provides corrosion resistance appropriate for the South African clinical environment, including facilities where corridor washing and cleaning-in-place are routine. The stretcher’s 150kg patient capacity accommodates the full range of adult patient weights encountered in general hospital transport. At 50kg unit weight and with four lockable 125mm castors, the stretcher is manoeuvrable by one or two staff members in standard clinical environments. Available in South Africa from Vital Medical, the VM-SHE2NT is appropriate for procurement by public and private hospitals, day clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and EMS receiving stations requiring a full-specification hydraulic transport stretcher.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TABLE