Jamaicans Making Needed Ventilators, Face Shields, Masks and other Protective Gears for Health Care Workers

One of the things that has resulted in a number of fatalities around the world since the Covid-19 disease, has been the lack of ventilators to help patients to breathe, and now locally produced ventilators, 3-D printed masks, face shields and other protective gears could become available for the health care workers who are on the front line of the Covid-19 battle.

Pre-Labs inc Ceo Yekini Wallen-Bryan and the CEO of Blue Dot Larren Peart said they found out that Jamaica only had 35 working ventilators on the island, and they knew the critical care covid-19 patients are badly in need of ventilators.

Larren figured there was something he could do before he asked Yekini Wallen-Bryan if he could build ventilators and he said he had never done it before, but he was willing to try, and the team began growing into a much larger one, as Jamaicans are very determined to equip health care workers in other countries as well.

When Larren did his research, he found out that many countries around the world are trying to make ventilators and he looked at the research they were putting in and came up with a way to make a ventilator in his own way. He didn’t want the supply chain to be held up when parts are ordered from overseas and they take a long time to get to Jamaica.

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Larren and Yekini said they started working on the ventilator just a week and a few days ago and the one they have made is working. Many persons had put aside other things they were doing and joined the team to get the ventilator ready.
 
The medical professionals at the University of the West Indies and the University hospital have been consulted by the CEO’s.

They have come a long way and the team of local engineers, Doctors and other professionals are all doing their part to get the ventilator ready.

They are also producing gowns and valves that will be attached to the existing ventilators so that 4 patients can access air, in case of emergencies.

The Jamaicans already have many orders. They are very concerned about the health care workers and they are planning to make as much gear as possible.

The managing director at Mona Tech has been repairing ventilators to use in hospitals before the team decided to assist.

The face shields were approved by the Ministry of Health already and they are working towards getting everything else they are making approved.

The ventilator they made is working by itself and the Ambu bag that would be normally squeezed by the nurses or Doctors is being squeezed in a mechanical way.

Many private sector entities have made commitments to assist the team already.

They have been forced to get the first ventilator ready in 2 months. The first batch of 500 masks out of 5000 was delivered. They are using 3D printers to print a part of the face shield and the other part has been provided by a local company.

The name of their business is Citizens Response Jamaica. They can be contacted on their website: www.citizensresponseja.com or call- 876-575-7371

They need, 3D printers, seamstresses, an apparel factory that has the capacity to mass-produce and money.

  You can sign up on the website to offer the needed assistance.