Navy’s ventilator to help 6 at a time

As the country prepares to handle a rising number of cases and meet its need for ventilators, which about 5% of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients may require, the Indian navy has pitched in with an innovative ventilator design that can cater to six patients simultaneously.

Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, has manufactured this portable multi-feed oxygen manifold ventilator, the Navy said in a statement.

“To cater to the requirement of oxygen supply for multiple patients during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, personnel from Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam have designed an innovative ‘Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold(MOM)’ using a 6-way radial header fitted to a single cylinder. This innovation will enable one Oxygen Bottle to supply six patients concurrently thus enabling critical care management to a larger number of COVID patients with the existing limited resources,” the statement said.

A typical oxygen providing facility at hospitals comprises an oxygen cylinder feeding only one patient through a Ventimask arrangement. “A need was therefore felt to design a suitable portable arrangement that could provide oxygen through masks to a number of needy patients using a single-cylinder during emergencies which is the need of the hour,” the statement added.

The preliminary trials of the entire assembly were conducted at the naval dockyard, Visakhapatnam, followed by rapid trials at the Naval Hospital, INHS Kalyani, in which the portable MOM was successfully set up within 30 minutes.

After successful trials, Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, has started manufacturing 10 portable MOM with two 6-way radial headers, which can cater to 120 patients at makeshift locations, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

With close to 1200 cases having tested positive for Covid-19, India is ramping up its disease management capacity, and has already placed an order of 40,000 ventilators.

A domestic manufacturer, Agva Healthcare in Noida, has been able to develop suitable ventilators and an order of 10,000 ventilators has been placed with the company. Supplies are expected to start by April 2. In addition, an order for 30,000 ventilators has been placed on Bharat Electronics Limited, which is going to collaborate with domestic manufacturers. Indian auto manufacturers are also preparing to manufacture ventilators.

Separate orders are also being placed by states to procure more ventilators in case numbers surge.

“…the government is taking all necessary measures to ensure there is no shortfall of necessary equipment,” said Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry.