NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 15 – Philips has introduced new emergency-use ventilators to help plug the growing demand occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new Philips Respironics E30 ventilator with visual and audible alarms allows for high-flow oxygen to support COVID-19 patients with respiratory insufficiency, both invasively and noninvasively.
As of July 2020, the Ministry of Health indicated that Kenya had only 437 ventilators countrywide to treat critical care COVID 19 patients.
“As COVID-19 continues to spread in Kenya, healthcare providers are working diligently to treat soaring numbers of patients at a time when there are few ventilators to provide care,” said Prof. Wangari Siika, Associate Professor in Anesthesia and Intensive care.
Ventilators are mechanical breathing devices that blow air and oxygen into the lungs. They are crucial for the care of people with lung failure, which is one of the complications suffered by COVID 19 patients.
“The E30 ventilator is fit for purpose, specifically made for COVID-19 management. It is not a full-featured, critical care ICU ventilator, but has been developed keeping the needs of healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients in mind while also complying with medical device quality standards,” stated Dr. Muthoni Ntonjira, Country Manager, Philips Kenya.
“Our hope is that this ventilator will help to free-up ICU ventilators for use in treating the most severe patients and support the efforts being made by our Government and our clinical workforce, ’she stated.
Kenya is fast moving into the infections peak, with cases moving closer to 30,000 since March when the first case was first diagnosed in the country.
Of the more than 500 patients who have succumbed to the virus so far, most were suffering from various underlying conditions, including Diabetes and Hypertension.
