Srinagar: 23-year-old Sheikh Najeeb Shafi from Srinagar's Karan Nagar area has developed a prototype of a low-cost ventilator that can be useful in the fight against coronavirus.
In an exclusive interaction with ETV Bharat, Shafi, an engineering student at SSM College of Science and Technology, said, "The frugal mechanical ventilator came to life after months of hard work and patience. The acceptance from the medical community is yet to be given as they have a better understanding of patient-specific breathing conditions."
The ventilator has been developed using household material and printed using 3D technology.
"The ventilator will be handed over to the team of experts at hospitals in Srinagar for evaluation," Najeeb said, adding that the cost of the ventilator will come around Rs 30,000.
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According to Najeeb, the idea was to overcome the shortage of ventilators in Kashmir amid rising cases of COVID-19.
The ventilator made by Najeeb is yet to be medically approved but has been designed under the guidance of a medical practitioner.
"The ventilator has not been tested anywhere but I was being continuously guided by Dr Zulfikar, who not only taught me medical terminology, requirements but also provided me with valuable feedback from time to time," Najeeb said.
Earlier, Najeeb has made several electronic gadgets like security systems, drone and MiG 29 fighter jet prototype (not for commercial use) all learning himself and printing through 3D technology.
Under mission COVID-19, he has also made a contactless robot for patients.
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He said, "I have also made a robot which can deliver medicines and food to the patients. This will enable contactless treatment of patients. The robot has been tested and is working well under controlled situations. The software needs to be upgraded based on the ground situation of the hospitals in the valley."
How many ventilators are in J&K?
According to the official data, there are a total of 208 ventilators across hospitals (including private) in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of these, 96 are in hospitals falling under the Jammu region while the remaining 112 are in Kashmir division. Also, the administration had sought 400 more but have received just 34 so far.
Corna positive cases continue to surge:
The coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir continue to surge, while the Kashmir division is the most affected as the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir climbed to 9,888 on Friday with the death toll reaching 160.
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