Ventilators and flow meters for clinical centres in Niš and Kragujevac
Following the latest developments in the epidemiological situation and the needs of healthcare institutions, UNICEF delivered 20 flow meters and four neonatal ventilators to the clinical centres in Niš and Kragujevac last week. Over the next week, UNICEF will donate additional ventilators for neonatology units – three to the Institute of Neonatology and one each to the Mother and Child Institute for, the University Children’s Clinic in Tiršova and the Institute for Health Protection of Children and Youth of Vojvodina respectively. Furthermore, 30 flow metres will be delivered to health facilities in Belgrade.
Oxygen flow metres and nebulizers have proven to be the most valuable medical equipment in the treatment of a large number of patients with the coronavirus. Both devices deliver oxygen from the central supply. While the sickest patients are usually put on ventilators, for patients that are not that gravely ill, flow metres are used for the basic oxygen support.
Neonatal ventilators are designed to provide mechanical ventilation support to newborns and are also extremely important. These are the latest models of respirators intended for premature babies, and Serbia is the first country in the region to get them.
Professor Emilija Golubović, M.D., Head of the Clinic for Children’s Internal Diseases of the Clinical Centre in Niš, expressed her gratitude to UNICEF for the valuable donation.
“When I tried to count everything that we got from UNICEF in previous years, it took quite some time to do that. The help that arrived was the most needed in the most serious time. The epidemic has caused our Neonatology Unit to be overcrowded, because patients from other cities and the entire region are sent here for treatment. Our capacities are full, because we have never had so many premature babies. This entire situation resulted in us having to work under increased pressure. The neonatal ventilator that we got has a special importance because when you have a child in front of you who does not weigh even a kilogramme, and most of the children who are being treated here at the moment weigh between 700 and 800 grams, you must do everything in your power to help them. They need a tremendous amount of care and these neonatal ventilators can really help premature babies. This device arrived at the right time “, said Professor Golubović.
While closely following the development of the epidemiological situation and the needs of health care institutions, UNICEF continues to support the entire health care system and has launched an appeal this week for the purchase of additional oxygen flow metres, which are required in oxygen therapy of patients who do not need a ventilator.
The NORDEUS Company was the first to respond to the appeal and has donated funds for the purchase of 100 flow metres. The goal is to acquire a total of 1,000 flow metres that will be distributed to health facilities where patients with COVID-19 are treated.
If you want to get involved in the campaign and donate funds for the acquisition of flow metres, you can find more information on UNICEF’s website https://donacije.unicef.rs/kampanja/covid-19-pomoc-za-kovid-pacijente .
