Electrician’s Innovative Bed Lets Bedridden Patients Manage Daily Chores On Their Own
Hyderabad-native Prabhakar Alladi who runs Prabhath Industries received a patent for his multi-purpose bed innovation which comes with a toilet facility, push-back seat, hand shower, wash basin and storage area.
Hyderabad-native Prabhakar Alladi grew up watching his electrician father fix faulty equipment. So it wasn’t a surprise when after his class 10 he chose the same field and even set up his own service centre in 1984.
Along with fixing devices, he was also fond of innovating new machines that made living life easier.
His journey as an innovator began in the 1980s when he thought of innovating a generator which turns on automatically when the power goes off. “I used to watch a lot of movies and even visit theatres to conduct repairs. Power going off without prior notice and abruptly ending the show was a common phenomenon. This made me invent an automatic generator starter,” the Chittapur resident says.
So far, the 59-year-old has innovated 20 patented devices including an automatic generator starter (1986), ferti applicator (1993), agriculture motor timer starter (1999), turmeric boiling unit (2011), electrical pole clip (2014), solar timer tracker (2014), redesigned soak pits (2015), bore well-pulling machine (2015), jumbo air cooler (2016), commode wheelchair (2017), weeder (2017), automatic vehicle headlight dipper (2017), self-charging electric vehicle (2018) and coconut shredding machine (2022).
One of his recent discoveries is a multi-purpose bed which can be used by bedridden patients to conduct their daily activities without external help. It comes with a hand shower, mini-toilet and an easy pushback system which helps patients get up and sit with ease.
“The trigger for this innovation was the plight of bedridden patients. I have seen several incidents while being in a hospital engaged in electrical work and even with my relatives. They needed the help of more than one person to get up and conduct their daily activities. Most of them feel miserable about it. Using ‘Prabhath Versatile Bed’, external help can be reduced considerably,” explains Prabhakar, who owns Prabhath Industries in Chittapur.
Similar to a hospital bed, it has grills on both sides to ensure the safety of the patient. The push-back seat can be controlled through a lever easily. If a water connection is provided, the hand shower and wash basin can be used too.
Once he got the idea of this innovation it took less than a week to complete the prototype. This happened in 2014 and each year he made new modifications to the item. Finally, in 2022, he received a patent for the bed from Intellectual Property India (IPI), Madras region.
Prabhakar spent around Rs 50,00 for making the first bed. To date, he has sold over 4,000 of them to bedridden patients in and around Telangana. The price of the bed, made mostly of fibre and iron, is Rs 26,000.
“Water connection can be provided to the bed and it is even possible to flush after using the mini toilet facility. A medium-sized cupboard is also attached to the bed to store essential items,” says the innovator.
The product is sold via the Facebook page and website of Prabhath Industries. “We tried to sell through Amazon but due to the weight of the item, it wasn’t possible,” he adds. “On the other hand, the commode wheelchair, my other invention, is available on Amazon.”
Prabhakar’s industry was set up in 1990 as an upgrade of his service centre. He has 15 workers in the place and over 300 people were taught electrical work through the industry. “I even run a training institute for electrical works where over 2,000 people were my students. But it was closed down recently due to the pandemic,” he shares.
The innovator has received several awards for his discoveries. His industry received the Best Startup Award in the Rural Innovators Startup Conclave 2019. It also won The Best Industries Award on Telangana Formation Day 2018.
“I will continue innovating things, especially as solutions to the daily problems of people. This is what I am good at and enjoy doing,” he says.
Prabhakar’s multi-purpose bed is now used by individuals as well as hospitals including MGM Hospital Warangal. And all of Prabhakar’s innovations are available for sale across India. If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change. Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution- By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike. Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?
Edited by Yoshita Rao
Photo Credits: Prabhakar Alladi
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