By George Y. Sharpe,gy.sharpe@yahoo.com
+231886580377
Monrovia- As Liberia Coronavirus cases rise to at least 120, with the death toll close to a dozen, a ventilator has been produced here by a German biomedical engineer in this West African country.
When what is wrecking the world in all spheres today surfaced, just how figuring its name was complex, so is finding a perfect solution. This is because coronavirus is a novel problem that caught even the modern world pants-down.
But what came out early was the need of a machine that supports breathing – a ventilator – since shortness of breath or breathing difficulty is one of the critical conditions that follow coronavirus, the novel killer.
Here in Liberia before registering a case on March 16, Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe alarmed that the virus might have a bigger toll on the country, given our fragile health system and the fact that we have just one ventilator, based at a Firestone Hospital in Margibi County. A ventilator is a mechanical breathing device that helps the fight with covid-19.
In the wake of this nearly lack of ventilators in Liberia, a German Biomedical engineer in the country is at the verge of completing the production of one.
Hans Goldman’s ‘simple covid-19 ventilator’ is currently undergoing clinical trial by health experts. It has to be certified by the Liberia Medical Regulatory Board.
He says it took him about four weeks to produce his ‘simple covid-19 ventilator’.
The bio-medical engineer who is also a teacher says the ventilator was modeled solely for helping covid-19 patients who may suffer shortness of breath – a condition responsible for the deaths of many coronavirus patients around the world.
Mr. Goldman says he’s got a damaged oxygen concentrator and cleaned it up to build his ventilator in its casing. He added that all its parts can be found right here in Liberia.
What’s intriguing about his project is the fact that its cost is as low as less than a third of what a ventilator would cost – he says it’s roughly US$4,000. A ventilator costs around US$20,000.
Goldman says the good thing about it is that besides his ventilator being local, it is easy to use and movable.
He says once it gets the nod, he can produce as many as may be needed. He also stated that his ventilator has all the needed functions of a ventilator including a central unit with ventilation control and its mobility makes it usable for more than one health facility.
“It is just a matter of manpower and the parts which can be gotten from downtown in electronic shops and electrical shops. When we get the license to use it, we can produce more for the health centers in this country.”
Mr. Goldman says his simple ventilator is safe for both the patients and its operators.
Asked whether it would be out on the market, he says his main goal is to help the Liberia Healthcare System in the fight against this novel foe – coronavirus.
“I want to help the Liberia Healthcare system. This machine is not for sale, I may need a refund for the materials I bought, not to sell it.”
And, he says he did not do it alone because when he leaves Liberia, he wants his legacy to continue, so he’s been working with his former student from BWI, a bio-technician.
“My former student, a Liberian, was with me throughout this work, and I would be excited to see him doing it all by himself.”
Wilfred Lawrence, the Bio Medical Technician at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital calls Goldman’s work a milestone for Liberia’s health sector.
He says it will go a long way in fighting covid-19 and calls on the Liberia Medical regulatory board to certify it.
“When I was asked to see this machine, my concern was the patients’ and operators’ safety. So I did electrical trial tests on it, its safety alarm, running time and maintenance capacities are perfect, and I think it is good to get it working at our facilities.” Lawrence says.
He emphasized that more ventilators are needed for the fight against covid-19 in the country and producing it here is a landmark achievement.
The JFK bio-med technician also says the good thing about Goldman’s work is that oxygen concentrators casing are in excess at health facilities across Liberia, and they can be made available for the production of more ventilators.
When Hans Goldman is given the patent, with Liberians working with him, it would mean a lot. And his innovation is something that’s worth emulating.
George Y. Sharpe is a 2019 graduate from the Mass Communications Department of the University of Liberia where he served as President of the student’s association. While there he was a recipient of the Rodney Armstrong Scholarship awarded by the Trustees of the Donations for Education in Liberia.