  Following the standardization and deployment of fifth generation (5G)
network, researchers have shifted their focus to beyond 5G communication.
Existing technologies have brought forth a plethora of applications that could
not have been imagined in the past years. Beyond 5G will enable us to rethink
the capability, it will offer in various sectors including agriculture, search
and rescue and more specifically in the delivery of health care services.
Unobtrusive and non-invasive measurements using radio frequency (RF) sensing,
monitoring and control of wearable medical devices are the areas that would
potentially benefit from beyond 5G. Applications such as RF sensing, device
charging and remote patient monitoring will be a key challenge using millimetre
(mmWave) communication. The mmWaves experience multi-path induced fading, where
the rate of attenuation is larger as compared to the microwaves. Eventually,
mmWave communication systems would require range extenders and guided surfaces.
A proposed solution is the use of intelligent reflective surfaces, which will
have the ability to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) signals. These intelligent
surfaces mounted and/or coated on walls aka - Intelligent Walls are planar and
active surfaces, which will be a key element in beyond 5G and 6G communication.
These intelligent walls equipped with machine learning algorithm and
computation power would have the ability to manipulate EM waves and act as
gateways in the heterogeneous network environment. The article presents the
application and vision of intelligent walls for next-generation healthcare in
the era of beyond 5G.
