COVID19: IIT Kanpur developing portable ventilators for patients

A team of researchers led by Prof. Amitabha Bandhopadhyaya is working on the development of portable ventilators that will possibly be ready within a month.

Amidst the soaring demand of ventilators, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has come forward with the initiative to rapidly develop and produce portable ventilators for COVID-19 patients in the country.

A team of researchers led by Prof. Amitabha Bandhopadhyaya is working on the development of portable ventilators that will possibly be ready within a month.

"Even countries like the United States and Italy, which have a very sophisticated medical infrastructure, are also overwhelmed by an onslaught of this virus. In India, we are grossly under-prepared. These patients, particularly the elderly one will need access to ventilators and we have very few spare ventilators for them," said Prof. Bandhopadhyaya.

Prof. Amitabha Bandopadhyaya is coordinating an effort led by a large team for rapid development and production of portable ventilators which will be life-saving for #Covid19 patients, particularly the elderly.@HRDMinistry @mhrd_innovation @karandi65 @DrRPNishank pic.twitter.com/aStiaeCdyb

— IIT Kanpur (@IITKanpur) March 25, 2020

Union HRD Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank congratulated and commended the efforts of the team for assisting the government during these challenging times.

"To provide medical aid to increasing Coronavirus patients, @IITKanpur has announced to make portable ventilators to support the government. In these challenging time, the way IIT Kanpur has come forward is commendable, Dr. Nishank tweeted on Thursday.

I congratulate the team led by Prof. Amitabha Bandhopadhyaya for their initiative.Our eminent institutes stand true to the commitment of improving lives and empower healthcare services.#IndiaFightsCoronavirus#COVID2019 #Lockdown21#StayHome

— Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) March 26, 2020

Not every COVID-19 patient needs ventilation, but critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit require a ventilator. According to the US health protection agency CDC, approximately 20-30 percent of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and pneumonia have required intensive care for respiratory support.