In India, workers at the Naval Dockyard created an innovative ‘Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold (MOM)’ using a six-way radial header fitted to a single cylinder – an adaptation that enables one oxygen cylinder to supply six patients concurrently.
Anticipated oxygen demand drives cylinder adaptation
In Pakistan, local publication The Express Tribunereported that Lahore-based private engineering firm Alpha Rubber and Plastic Works has also developed a ‘splitter’ which connects to ventilator hoses and supplies oxygen to up to four patients at once and may be used multiple times.
The device is understood to initially be manufactured using 3D printer technology.
At the time of writing, Pakistan has just over 4,000 cases and 56 fatalities according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
The country, which borders China where the Covid-19 pandemic began and Iran, one of the worst-hit countries so far, announced it was shutting all of its land borders and limiting international flights for 15 days on 13thMarch.
At that time, gasworld reported how Pakistan’s largest bank had issued a warning over the potential impact of Covid-19 on the country and its economy.
Expected impact of coronavirus on Pakistan
Risha Mohyeddin, Global Treasurer at HBL Bank, commented, “There will undoubtedly be a significant and tragic human cost if Covid-19 takes hold in the Pakistan population as much of the population lives in close proximity to each other.”
“The impact on the economy will largely be dictated by government action and any impact on Pakistan’s export sectors…”
“Given the domestic focus of the economy, it should be less impacted by travel bans and slowing international trade than other more externally-facing developing economies.”