Turkey produces remote control breathing apparatus

By Selma Kasap

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey produced a remote control breathing apparatus for ambulance and field hospitals as one of the nation’s next steps against coronavirus outbreak.

Turkey’s National Education Ministry announced on Thursday that the Biomedical Device Technologies R&D workshops of a vocational and technical training high school in the country's southern Hatay province have produced its first breathing apparatus.

Another phase of the works in this context was completed in the R&D workshop of a similar high school in Turkey's largest Istanbul metropolis, where the second respirator has been produced.

The high school developed the production of an "expirium filtered automatic ambulatory ventilator" for use in hospitals and the home environment.

The developed breathing apparatus can also be used in ambulance or field hospitals thanks to the ability to control its control panel remotely through a computer or mobile phone application.

Mahmut Ozer, the deputy education minister, told Anadolu Agency that the ministry enacting the production capacity in vocational and technical Anatolian high schools during the pandemic process, and started mass production of a wide range of products ranging from cleaning and disinfection products to masks, disposable aprons and overalls to the face protection shields.

"We are delighted to be able to produce and put into the service the machines [breathing apparatus] needed in this process through the vocational education," he said, adding that all related studies were completed and the second remotely controlled respirator was produced.

Underlining that vocational education in the country has become able to produce rapid responses to social demands, Ozer thanked all people who "devotedly work" in all provinces of Turkey for their efforts during the tough times.

Ozer also recalled that the ministry previously also produced an automatic three-layer wire ultrasonic surgical mask machine in Istanbul, adding that now they plan to produce the N95 respirators machine.

"Our work on this matter is also progressing successfully. Hopefully, this month, we will share the good news about this issue," he concluded.

So far, the novel coronavirus has claimed 1,643 lives in Turkey, with registered cases topping 74,000. The country has already repatriated tens of thousands of Turkish nationals living abroad.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe and the United States.

The pandemic has killed over 146,000 people and infected some 2.16 million, while almost 551,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev