ADDIS ABABA – Debre Berhan University announced that it has finalized a prototype to produce ventilators in order to save patients in need of respiratory assistance due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Mechanical Engineering Department Head and Leading Researcher of the project Tesfaye Wondatir told The Ethiopian Herald that the project aims in tackling the immediate need, supporting the respiratory system by developing low cost simple mechanically operated ventilators for COVID- 19 severe patients.
“The ventilators are significant to mitigate the impact of the virus by providing the mechanical ventilator as the disease is mainly attack respiratory organ.”
The ventilator is preparing in various platforms and the prototype is finalized for an automated screw operated ventilators, simple pump type ventilators and cam and transmission system mechanism ventilators for mass use, he said.
The project has been passed through seven prototype phases so far with suggestion of physicians all efforts are need to be done to facilitate the ventilators to provide oxygen without any fluctuation, he stated.
According to Tesfaye, the university has been endeavoring to provide several types of ventilators. Among others, cum and automated screw types of the ventilator productions trials are at good phases based on the suggestions.
“We are working to get into production within a short period of time after purchasing spare parts in the next weeks.”
The university planned to produce about 400 ventilators while 30 ventilators are intended to be produced in the first round production phase, he expressed.
There is also a plan to produce the ventilators in a way to address more patients serving three to four with one ventilator, according to him.
However, the problem is the university might not get the needed spare parts and chemicals like nitrogen shortly.
Mechanical, electrical engineers steel workers and medical professionals of the university are actively engaging in the production, he noted.
Currently, the university is undertaking the project spending over 600, 000 Birr. The production might get more fastened if it gets the needed financial and technical support from intended bodies, the researcher indicated.
While the production is intended to reduce health problems related to the pandemic, the ventilator will serve for more health difficulties related to respiratory problems, he pointed out.
He believed that the government should work on maintaining old ventilators to curb shortage of ventilators in the country.
The nation has about 500 ventilators regardless of the recently imported ones either in purchase or grant, it was learnt.
In a country of more than 100 million people, just 54 ventilators out of the total 450 had been set aside for COVID-19 patients, said Ministry of Health Director General of Medical Services Yakob Seman recently told to Science X web media.
The Ethiopian Herald May 12/2020
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
