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Covid battle: Peradeniya dons give kiss of life to dying ventilators
Vice Chancellor Upul Dissanayake hands over the restored machines to the Deputy Director-General Health Services Dr Amal de Silva. Prof Ms Vasanthi Pinto is alongside
A team of doctors in Kandy has restored 12 ventilators discarded by public hospitals and handed them over to health officials to treat coronavirus patients.
They had come together at first to build one, but abandoned the idea because they could not get the components.
Peradeniya Teaching Hospital director Dr Arjuna Tillekeratne had begun a search for discarded ventilators and once even went to Dehiattakandiya to collect discarded machines.
Twenty were recovered and 12 were restored by a multi-disciplinary team involving the faculty of medicine, engineering and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies. These were handed over to the Health Services Deputy Director General Dr Amal de Silva, by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Upul B. Dissanayake.
The equipment
They are estimated to be worth Rs 3 million and imports would cost more than Rs 7 million each.
Team spokeswoman, Professor Vasanthi Pinto, said a ‘new’ ventilator would be produced.
A robot medicine tray made by engineering graduates, was also handed over to health officials.
The dean of the faculty of medicine, Prof Asiri Abeygunawardene, dean of the faculty of engineering, Prof Athula Herath, Prof Liayange Prof Ms. Vasanhi Pinto were present.