NIMR to deploy non-invasive ventilators for COVID-19 patients

The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has concluded plans to deploy non-invasive ventilators to hospitals and isolation centres for the treatment of respiratory distressed COVID-19 patients.

The Director General, NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Salako, made this known, yesterday, in Lagos during the CIRCUM VENT train the trainer’s training. He said the initiative would address gap in shortage of ventilators for treatment of patients with respiratory distress in Nigeria not only COVID-19 patients. 

Salako disclosed that 60 of such ventilators have been deployed to the Federal Ministry of Health and also seven teaching hospitals. The hospitals namely: Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), FMC Ebute-Meta, FMC Abeokuta, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital, Kano, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka,Enugu and Delta State University Teaching Hospital have each received six ventilators.

He said the objective of the training was to make ventilators available in resource-limited settings, to expand patient treatment options, while safeguarding health care providers from exposure to aerosolized SARS-CoV-2.