Wipro 3D commences production and commercialisation of Chitra WiproAirBridge, GenWorks Health to accelerate reach of AirBridge to 635 districts of India
Wipro 3D, the metal additive manufacturing (AM) business of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN), and GenWorks Health have entered into a strategic partnership to enable broad-based access to affordable breathing assistance medical devices.
According to a company note, AirBridge, a battery backed emergency breathing assistance system, developed by Wipro 3D in collaboration with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), is specifically aimed at patients that need breathing assistance, but do not have access to a ventilator support, including COVID-19 patients.
According to the Health Ministry, Government of India, about 5.8 per cent COVID-19 patients require oxygen therapy and 1.7 per cent need intensive care.
“These unusual conditions have presented a need to democratise access to affordable healthcare, more specifically breathing assistance devices. Wipro3D has collaborated with SCTIMNST, an institute of eminence in DST, GOI to offer a proven and well tested device, which is based on exhaustive clinical inputs. We have in AirBridge, a good balance of capability to offer wide range of use cases, cost efficiency and operability that can offer an excellent solution to address respiratory distress especially Covid-19 patients,” said Ajay Parikh, vice president & business head, Wipro 3D.
“With support from GenWorks Health, we hope to accelerate adoption of this life saving technology across healthcare facilities in the country,” he added.
“GenWorks Health is pleased to partner with Wipro 3D to accelerate access of Wipro Chitra AirBridge – Emergency Breathing Assist System to every healthcare facility across the country through our distribution network in all districts of India,” said S Ganesh Prasad, MD & CEO, GenWorks Health.
The company note specifies that Wipro Chitra AirBridge EBAS is not a replacement for mechanical ventilators used in the treatment of COVID patients or patients that require respiratory support. It is designed to provide short term breathing support to patients who are waiting for ventilation support including in transportation of patient to hospital.
As the Wipro Chitra AirBridge is easy to use and can be used by technicians or nurses with minimal training in the absence of an intensivist, it is an affordable device with minimal operating costs. The device can reportedly be used in any setting where breathing assistance is needed – in an ambulance, intra-hospital transport of patients, post-operative patients or for patients with acute breathing difficulties.
“While managing a maternity center, it is very important to adopt technology, particularly when you’re dealing with two lives. More so in the current times of uncertainty, solutions that are easy to use and don’t need availability of experts 24/7 are crucial. The Airbridge EBAS is one such device for the labour room – affordable, accessible and life-saving and I see this as a simple solution that can solve a lot of problems when it comes to emergency breathing assistance,” commented Dr Shubhada Kalvit, consultant gynaecologist and infertility specialist,Kalvit Nursing Home and Test tube baby Center, Bilaspur.