UP scientists making ventilators as coronavirus cases mount: health dept

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XeFKvU7tnIw?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - Scientists from the University of the Philippines are designing a more affordable ventilator that will help patients with the novel coronavirus breathe, the health department said Wednesday as cases of the respiratory disease continued to climb.<br/> <br/>The UP-National Institutes for Health in Manila has almost finished designing the ventilator, said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, who declined to give more details about the project.</p><p>&quot;Hopefully kapag lumabas po iyong kanilang pinag-aralan na ito at ginagawa, makakuha na tayo ng marami at mas mura po ito,&quot; she said.</p><p>(Hopefully when the ventilator they are studying and making comes out, we can get additional and cheaper units.))</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/03/29/icu.jpg"/></figure></div><p>There are 1,263 ventilators across country, of which about 153 are in Metro Manila, said Vergeire.</p><p>She said her agency was working with the budget department to import 1,500 additional ventilators and find a supplier.</p><p>&quot;Kapag ganito po kasi, minsan iyong volume ang nagiging bottleneck natin so &#x27;pag ganyan tinitiingnan po natin kung may makukuha tayong supplier,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/03/02/20/who-urges-stocking-up-on-ventilators-to-combat-virus">WHO urges stocking up on ventilators to combat virus</a></li></ul><p>Apart from the UP-NIH, Vergeire said she was not aware of any other Philippine maker of ventilators.</p><p>The institute also developed the first Philippine-made test kits for COVID-19, which could yield &quot;very accurate&quot; results in 2 hours, instead of the typical 24 hours with imported kits, the Food and Drug Administration earlier said.</p><p>The UP-NIH on Wednesday will submit the results of a field trial that is required for its test kits to be mass distributed, said the FDA.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/30/20/up-local-made-test-kit-for-coronavirus-covid-19-awaiting-fda-approval ">FDA approval for locally-made COVID-19 test kits expected within the week</a></li></ul>

<p>Scientists from the University of the Philippines are designing a more affordable ventilator that will help patients with the novel coronavirus breathe, the health department said Wednesday as cases of the respiratory disease continued to climb.</p>

Scientists from the University of the Philippines are designing a more affordable ventilator that will help patients with the novel coronavirus breathe, the health department said Wednesday as cases of the respiratory disease continued to climb.

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UP scientists making ventilators as coronavirus cases mount: health dept

UP scientists making ventilators as coronavirus cases mount: health dept

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 01, 2020 09:59 AM PHT

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Updated Apr 01, 2020 10:12 AM PHT

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