WITH the price of imported isolation stretchers badly needed to move coronavirus patients being very high Khon Kaen Hospital has created a Thai-made one which is four to five times cheaper, PostToday reported this morning (18.4.2020)
Dr Chartchai Chantraworachakul, the director of this northeastern city hospital, said such stretchers are needed to move both Covid-19 and other infected patients such as those suffering from tuberculosis.
With the price of the imported isolation stretchers being as much as 300,000 to 500,000 baht each, this hospital’s medical engineering team worked hard and successfully built one with local materials and equipment at total cost of only around 50,000 baht.
The stretcher is encased in a clear, thick and strong acrylic box which enables the medical team to see the patient within. There are doors opening at the two sides to easily move the patient in and out as well as a portal to insert an arm and quickly provide medical treatment.
The negative pressure value within the capsule is below 2.5 Pascal compared to the air outside with there being an air vent beside the patient’s feet, Dr Chatchai said, adding that the air and germs within the capsule is pumped out towards the head where there are three layers of filters, pre-filter, medium-filter, and hepa-filter 99.9%, cleaning it and making it germ-free.
This device is currently being used for emergencies and initial production is to meet the demand of this hospital.
A dire shortage of medical necessities and equipment is being felt worldwide as this deadly pandemic rages on with there being over 2,244,300 global cases and 154,219 global deaths so far, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University at 12:38 p.m. Beijing time today and published by CNBC.
Most cases reported: United States (702,164), Spain (190,839), Italy (172,434), France (149,130), and Germany (141,397).
In Thailand there were an additional 33 Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours taking the total of 2,733 with no additional deaths. Altogether 1,787 patients have recovered,
Overall 29 provinces have not reported any cases for 14 days (April 4 to 17) while nine have not reported any cases at all.
Earlier this week Politico.com reported that the New York State Nurses Association plans to file three lawsuits on Monday over a lack of personal protective equipment and what it considers dangerous guidance issued by the state department of health during the coronavirus pandemic — the first legal action of its kind since the outbreak began.
The Montefiore Health System and Westchester Medical Center allegedly did not protect their nurses and provide them with adequate protective equipment — following guidance from the state health department to help health systems ration medical supplies, NYSNA members told POLITICO. The union confirmed a filing is likely Monday in state court.
Nurses have been asked to wear the same masks, gowns, face shields and other equipment for days on end — and find ways to keep the disposable items clean. In some cases, hospitals refused to provide protective equipment to nurses in certain divisions, like dialysis, and many health care workers have developed coronavirus.
CAPTION:
The isolation stretcher Khon Kaen Hosptial has built. Photo: PostToday
