ATBU Produces COVID-19 Treatment Machines
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Technologists, Engineers and other professionals of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, (ATBU) Bauchi, have produced prototypes of ventilator, aerosol box, automatic sprayer and hand sanitizers which are cost effective and efficient for the treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
The aerosol box can be used to protect Medical Doctors and other medical personnel who are treating COVID-19 positive patient from being infected by placing the box to cover the head, mouth and nose of the patient during the period of treatment.
This is just as the automatic sprayer will automatically spray anyone going in and coming out of a room considering that one of the ways of getting infected is touching an object earlier touched by an infected person.
Vice Chancellor of ATBU, Prof Muhammad Ahmad Abdulazeez, who conducted journalists round the invented machines at the Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory at the Yelwa Campus, said that the efforts is in line with the objectives of the University as a center of research and invention which it has excelled in over the years.
Abdulazeez also said that it is a determined effort to make ventilators and other machines needed for the treatment of stage two of COVID-19 infection and other infectious diseases that motivated the University to venture into the prototype production of the machines.
The VC added that considering the high cost of procuring ventilators and other equipment needed for the treatment of COVID-19, Lassa fever and other infectious diseases, ATBU decided to go into deep research and at end, was able to come out with the prototypes of the machines which can be mass produced with financial support from anyone especially government.
He however said that, lack of funds is the major impediment to the mass production of the machines and therefore called on Government at all levels to as a matter of urgency contact the Mechatronics Engineering Department of the University for mass production of the machines at a moderate cost.
Abdulazeez further said; “We are not in this to make profit but to contribute to the fight against infectious diseases particularly COVID-19 and Lassa fever”.
The Vice Chancellor commended the team that worked day and night to ensure the production of the machines saying; “despite the ASUU strike and other issues, these people came out to ensure that we got to this point. They have demonstrated that they are patriotic citizens of Nigeria and have the people at heart. We are indeed grateful to them”.
Abdulazeez expressed confidence that the machines fabricated by the University can stand the test of time, compete with any other one from anywhere, because according to him, “our people are qualified professionals who have been tested and certified.”
He assured that hand sanitizers will be mass produced at a cheaper and affordable rate in order to ease the stress people are currently going through to get the product which price just skyrocketed beyond the reach of the poor.
