Ninewells Hospital receives 10 ‘ventilators’ from children’s charity

A global health charity based in Scotland has donated 10 anaesthetic machines to help provide more intensive care beds at a Tayside hospital.

Edinburgh-based Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) has installed 25 paediatric operating rooms in 11 countries across Africa and South America and is later this year due to open the first such facility at a refugee camp in Kenya.

The 10 specialist anaesthetic machines – which can act and will be used as ventilators – have been donated by the charity to Ninewells Hospital.

It will mean 10 new intensive care beds at the hospital can help patients from Tayside and north-east Fife who have been seriously affected by coronavirus.

The charity’s co-Founders Garreth and Nicola Wood said: “We know that this is the most challenging time ever to face healthcare systems around the world.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt thanks are with those on the front-line fighting Covid-19.

“KidsOR’s entire focus is on saving lives and we are proud to do that both overseas and now at home, too.

“We hope that this donation will help towards NHS Scotland providing the extra ICU capacity they need.”

KidsOR chief executive David Cunningham said: “Thanks to our fantastic team, all of whom are now fully established working from home, and also thanks to our suppliers around the world, we are able to make this donation to NHS Scotland without interrupting our commitments to hospitals in Africa and South America.

“The scale of the challenge they are facing is truly unprecedented and we are absolutely committed to scaling up our infrastructure there, too.”

Ninewells will receive 10 Mindray Wato Ex35 anaesthetic machines working as ventilators and 10 ePM-12M monitors to be used alongside them.

The charity’s donation also includes 16 Mindray Imec12 patient monitors and 18 Lifebox pulse monitors, which can be used anywhere in Scotland.

In total, the equipment is worth more than £400,000.

NHS Tayside was the first health board in Scotland to report a case of coronavirus on Sunday March 1.

Pamela Johnston, NHS Tayside’s associate medical director of surgical division, said, “We are delighted to receive this donation of medical equipment from KidsOR.

“This is very helpful for us as we prepare for the expansion of our intensive care for Covid-19 patients in Tayside.”