Being ventilated for life-threatening Covid-19 is a thoroughly nasty business. So the production of non-invasive ventilation devices in South Africa is a rare piece of good news in the pandemic.
Next month will see the first batch of non-invasive ventilators arrive in our hospitals, with a roll out of 20 000 in the pipeline. And, based on its stellar experience in developing complex systems for the MeerKAT radio telescope — a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array — the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory is managing the National Ventilator Project on behalf of the Solidarity Fund.
The health department, therefore, is backing the move to roll out the 20 000 locally made Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and High-Flow Nasal Oxygen devices from July. “This therapy will become a critical part of our healthcare response, creating an alternative for ventilation. Under the correct supervision, we believe it can also be administered in general wards, which will minimise the need for critical care beds,” said Winde.
“We hope to sign contracts for 10 000 today [Wednesday] and then aim to build at least 10 000 more —subject to the appropriate approvals and funding. The Solidarity Fund will award the contracts,” Phasiwe said. “You need to insert special drips, and a catheter and a feeding tube in the nose or mouth to the stomach,” he said. “All of these foreign objects we put into your body introduce new ways for infection and complications, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, to take hold.”
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