Makerere University School of Public Health and Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) on Thursday unveiled the first unit of a low-cost medical ventilator.
The unveiled ventilator is mobile and can be used in ambulances and hospitals. It also has a solar-powered battery which makes it suitable for use in rural settings where there is no reliable electricity supply.
The ventilator named BULAMU has a monitor from which the operator can continually check the tidal volume delivered to the patient, the pressure and its flow rate and the respiratory rate.
Made from locally sourced items, Bulamu ventilator is fitted with an alkaline battery with capacity to sustain operation for 2 hours without electricity supply.
Ventilators are used in ICUs to support patients with respiratory problems similar to those of COVID-19.
During the launch of the ventilator, the Health Minister, Dr. Ruth Aceng, said the production of the ventilator is timely since Uganda is hosting patients at Namboole Stadium as the COVID-19 case figures keep rising.
The ventilators await clinical trials before they are used on patients.