HIT ventilators, suction machine ready for production Dr Engineer Talon Garikayi

Mandaza Chikarango Herald Correspondent

Harare Institute of Technology is moving into commercial production of the four ventilator types and the suction machine it has designed and had used as prototypes.

Speaking during the unveiling of these machines at HIT University yesterday, acting Vice Chancellor Dr Engineer Talon Garikayi said the Covid-19 pandemic taught everyone a lesson and the need to develop locally the requirements in the treatment of a range of illnesses rather than rely on scarce and expensive imports.

“The phase of the pandemic came characterised by limited access to well-equipped health care facilities and it is against this background that Harare Institute of Technology developed ventilators with the technical support from the Government,’’ he said.

Ventilators are critical component in fighting the worst symptoms of several diseases.

They are used to deliver air or oxygen into the body of the patients with conditions like pneumonia or during mass casualty events.

HIT reckons that it should be possible to produce for export as well as local needs.

Speaking at the same occasion, World Health Organisation representative Mr Nkosilathi Mpala said the WHO put its full support behind HIT’s initiatives in biomedical engineering that enabled monitoring of patients and achievement of results.

“As WHO, we are fully behind the development of biomedical devices by HIT and we shall ensure there is adequate funding of the programme for it to get international recognition,” he said.

“Our primary responsibility is for institutions to have adequate domestic funding for research and development as well as adequate external funding from WHO.”

One of the presenters at the Expo, Mrs Mushosho, said there was need to use local manufacturing for medical accessories that can be produced locally.

“Imagine simple items like ultrasound gel are currently being imported and used widely in imaging, physiotherapy, antenatal care and in many other processes,” she said.

“How many litres of ultrasound gel are consumed per day in Harare only, and the cost associated with importing it.

“Somebody somewhere has to identify that there is a need to substitute the imported product and substitute with our local product and HIT has done so.”

One of the HIT students who helped design some of the ventilators, Tanaka Dzapasi, said he was delighted with the achievement.

“In light of the fact that the ventilators are an indigenous innovation it indeed makes me proud as an enthusiastic young engineer and being part of the great team behind the design and development,” he said.

“Really it instils confidence in my engineering endeavour that I will be part of in future.”

Another student, Hazel Kwiriri, said she was excited by the development of the ventilators and urged her fellow students to possess a strong practical mentality.

“The development of the ventilators has brought joy to me and I would like to implore counterparts to be design and oriented and never look back and continue to endure and be positive all the time,” she said.

Another guest presenter at the event, senior programmes officer for Deaf Zimbabwe, Mrs Susan Chibika, said there was need for incorporation of students living with disability in biomedical engineering.

“As an organisation, we are lobbing our local universities to start designing programmes that include disability students, particularly the deaf, and this is only done if the higher tertiary curriculum is revised to cater for their needs,” she said.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey