The National Technology Business Centre – NTBC has issued a grant of K100,000 for the production of low cost ventilators to help in the COVID 19 fight. The grant would also enable UNZA develop its ventilator prototypes and proceed from design stage into tangible actual ventilators as final products.
The grant presentation event held at Unza Confucius Institute attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT on 26 March, 2020 was made from the Technology Business Development Fund – TBDF. The total amount of funds held in the TBDF was not however availed but institutions are free to apply to access the fund.
In the UK, a similar innovation was announced by Cranfield University on 6 April 2020. The UK university stated that its experts had rapidly developed a simple, low-cost Bag Valve Mask (BVM) ventilator to help critically-ill COVID-19 patients.
The BVM ventilators though developed in the UK was later physically built from Georgia Tech (USA) in a matter of days. According to Cranfield University, the developed makeshift ventilator can serve two patients simultaneously and due to its flat-pack design, can be quickly manufactured at scale, costing less than US$100 (K1,800) per unit.
Speaking during the signing event of the grant, NBTC Director Dr. Kasase Chitundu stated that NTBC is honored to manage the TBDF on behalf of government and the Ministry of Higher Education in particular, as the award will go a long way in fighting COVID 19.
“We are aware that that the world is currently facing a global novel corona virus pandemic which has not spared the country, the main challenges it has come with include management and treatment. Countries have turned to home grown solutions to stop the spread of COVID 19 and also managing the people infected by the virus”.
“When NTBC received an application from UNZA to support the development of three prototypes of medical ventilators, we did not hesitate to approve the award of the TBDF grant of K100,000”, he said.
He also congratulated the UNZA management and the team of technical experts at UNZA for coming up with home grown innovative design of medical ventilators.
And Minister of Higher Education Dr. Brian Mushimba said that his Ministry of higher is responsible for promoting science and innovation in Zambia and to make this possible, the ministry implements this by using institutions such as NTBC through TBDF.
“NTBC is mandated to transfer appropriate technologies which address various challenges through its statutory mandate. It is contributing towards the development of medical ventilators by UNZA in an effort to compliment government’s efforts through Ministry of Health to treat and manage COVID 19 patients”, he said.
Mushimba also stressed that the proposed design is technically feasible and top notch. He believes that UNZA and people behind this concept have the necessary skills, facilities and expertise to developed and produce the ventilators locally.
“In view of this. the Ministry is hopeful that the grant of K100,000 will go a long way in facilitating the production of ventilators, improvement on the medical ventilators, explore more efficient and cleaner methods of producing the technology and, ensuring preparedness of the sector in combating COVID 19″, he said.
The ventilators will be unique. They will have a solar battery system and also use normal source of power (from ZESCO), making it efficient and not be affected by load shedding.
Zambian Universities have been accused of heavily concentrating on teaching at the expense of research and development. This initiative marks a step for UNZA to challenge that negative narrative and contribute to delivering solutions for challenges facing the country.
