UI Hands over COVENT-20 Ventilators to BNPB
Delli Asterina ~ FEB UI Public Relations Officer
Jakarta, Wednesday, 24/6/2020 – Universitas Indonesia (UI) Rector Prof. Ari Kuncoro, SE, MA, Ph.D. symbolically handed over COVENT-20 ventilators to National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) Head Lt. Gen. TNI Doni Monardo in a ceremony witnessed by Minister of Research and Technology/Head of National Agency for Research and Innovation (Menristek/Kepala BRIN) Prof. Bambang P. S. Brodjonegoro, S.E., M.U.P., Ph.D. at BNPB building in Jakarta. Also present at the ceremony were the head of UI Board of Trustees, Saleh Husin; Vice Rector for Research and Innovation Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Haris, Faculty of Engineering (FTUI) Dean Dr. Ir. Hendri D.S. Budiono, M.Eng., Faculty of Medicine (FKUI) Dean Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, SpPD-KGEH., MMB., the head of the UI Ventilator Team, Dr. Basari, S.T., M.Eng., and team members as well as members of the Alumni Association of FTUI (ILUNI FTUI).
The ventilators were the result of multidisciplinary research conducted by academics, notably from FKUI and FTUI, to support efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and help Indonesia become self-reliant in medical devices by boosting domestic production. A total of 300 COVENT-20 ventilators will be donated to more than 180 COVID-19 referral hospitals and hospitals across Indonesia. The distribution is expected to be completed by the end of June 2020. The number of ventilators donated is way below the number needed. Therefore, the participation of all parties is important to accelerate COVID-19 handling in Indonesia.
Bambang Brodjonegoro expressed his appreciation for UI academics, especially the innovators who have worked hard to support the government in dealing with COVID-19. “COVENT-20 is a testament to the hard work of UI researchers and innovators who have successfully produced a ventilator designed and manufactured in Indonesia in the past three months. Currently, there are five ventilators, including COVENT-20, that have obtained distribution permits from the Ministry of Health and are ready for use by hospitals. What UI has done makes us very proud, considering that people from the world of higher education, the world of research, were able in a relatively short time to produce things that had once seemed unimaginable because we have never made ventilators before,” said Prof. Bambang.
Prof. Bambang also appreciated the use of local content in COVENT-20 production. “COVENT-20 is a product with a 70% local content. To our pride and relief, the ventilator is produced in collaboration with various parties, involving cross-faculty cooperation, alumni support and collaboration with philanthropists who finance the manufacturing, production and distribution proces through crowdfunding so that later on the ventilators can be produced and distributed across Indonesia. Kemenristek/BRIN gave full financial support during the development stage and support for its distribution to users,” said Prof. Bambang.
Ari added, “The COVID-19 pandemic is a complex, multidimensional problem affecting health, economic and socio-cultural aspects. This requires interdisciplinary mitigation and adaptation efforts to find solutions. COVENT-20 is a clear example of the application of dynamic collaboration involving two faculties at UI, namely the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Engineering. UI has been involved in COVID-19 handling by deploying volunteers from the Faculty of Nursing to UI Hospital that handles COVID-19 cases. In addition, the Faculty of Pharmacy independently produces hand sanitizers in its laboratory, later to be donated. In the field of social and humanities sciences, UI has also produced various policy briefs or contributions of thought on how to deal with COVID-19.”
Ari also said that the upstream to downstream process of COVENT-20 production could be an example of a penta helix engagement model. According to him, “From modeling, prototyping to clinical trials and downstream processes, the COVENT-20 ventilator involves many parties. Interestingly, there is government involvement, in this case the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Agency for Research and Technology that provides funding. It’s an interesting model because it’s not just colleges that fund it. The spirit of penta helix collaboration was created, both between universities, the government and the private sector, and the public and the media. This model can be applied to future projects to deal with national problems.”
COVENT-20 is a low-cost local transport ventilator developed by the UI Ventilator Team. COVENT-20 passed human clinical trials for the CMV (Continuous Mandatory Ventilation) and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) ventilation mode from the Indonesian Ministry of Health on June 15, 2020. In addition, COVENT-20 obtained a distribution permit from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the Directorate General of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices on June 19, 2020.
Currently, COVENT-20 is produced by several medical device partner manufacturers, including PT Enesers Mitra Berkah, PT Graha Teknomedika, and PT PINDAD. The COVENT-20 production is funded by donations from several companies, communities and UI alumni under the coordination of Iluni FTUI. The UI Ventilator Development Team is a collaborative effort of researchers at FTUI and FKUI, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM), Persahabatan Hospital Jakarta, the Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health Jakarta II, Department of Electrical Engineering. (hjtp)
Sumber: ui.ac.id
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