Nursing officer invents ventilator that can be hooked onto four patients at once

Nursing Officer Bihan Haputhanthri of the Cardiothorasic Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Kandy Hospital has produced a ventilator that can keep four patients breathing at the same time. He gave a demonstration regarding his invention before Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi today (2) at the Health Ministry premises. 

Mr Haputhanthri pointed out that only about 300 ventitilators out of the currently functioning 500 in the country's hospitals can be used for Corona patients. However, with the ventilator that he has produced, he stated that they would be able to keep four different patients breathing at the same time without the risk of the virus spreading to others. Accordingly, he stated that the device would enable them to increase the number of patients hooked onto the 500 existing ventilators to 2000 if an emergency situation arose. He also pointed out that the measure would save a large amount of money.

President of the Government Nursing Officers Association Saman Rathnapriya and Health Ministry Secretary Badrani Jayawardena were among those present. 

Pix Courtesy Health Ministry