Researchers at the UAE’s Khalifa University are taking steps to meet the growing global demand for emergency ventilators due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
They have developed a prototype of the machine and are now engineering a production facility in Abu Dhabi to roll them out on a wider scale.
A team from the university’s Healthcare Engineering Innovation Centre (HEIC) are developing the ventilators.
They are focusing on low-cost, rapid production using 3D printing and easily accessible materials.
Within the next two weeks, the team aims to have the plan for the production plant finalised and the first units ready to support the UAE’s fight against the virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 80 per cent of infected people recover without needing hospital treatment, but one person in six becomes seriously ill and can develop pneumonia, which may require ventilator treatment.
As the pandemic continues, thousands of ventilators are needed around the world, and developing them quickly has the potential to save lives.
The UAE launched an international call for stronger action against environmental crime on Sunday during the UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi, as officials warned of growing links between offences involving natural resources and organised criminal networks.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, approved the strategy and operating budget of the Dubai Longevity Authority on Sunday.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended a UAE-hosted Youth Dialogue in New York on Sunday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The UAE delegation continued a series of high-level meetings in New York on the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, with discussions covering trade, energy, technology and healthcare.