KENYA – Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Limited has unveiled the Vayu Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (bCPAP) system that provides blended oxygen without the need for electricity to neonates and infants with breathing problems.
The respiratory kit will protect newborn babies, the world’s most vulnerable population, who may need to be placed in incubators where there may not be controls in the oxygen provided to them which may lead to health conditions like blindness, lung damage, brain damage or even death.
Additionally, CPAP systems existing in the market already cost at least US$1,500 and use electricity thus limiting use to specific hospitals while the Vayu CPAP costs only US$400 and it is sizeable as well as easy to operate and maintain.
The latest respiratory facility will improve quality of newborn care as it is considerably affordable, portable and has components that are re-usable after sterilization thus can used at any hospital in any part of the country compared to the normal CPAP systems in the market.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is a type of positive airway pressure that is used to deliver a set pressure to the airways that is maintained throughout the respiratory cycle, during inspiration and expiration, to keep the airways patent and prevent airway collapse.
CPAP devices are used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to treat premature infants with underdeveloped lungs or acute respiratory illnesses lungs and who may have respiratory distress syndrome from surfactant deficiency in order to support bodily functions.
Subsequently, Revital Healthcare becomes the world’s first manufacturer of a non-electric respiratory device for newborn babies to address respiratory distress which is one of the leading causes of global child mortality.
The Vayu CPAP is authorized for emergency use by the United States Food and Drug Administration and approved by Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board and Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority.
The adoption of the Vayu bCPAP system will help reduce infant mortality rate where over 1,000 cases of neonatal complications are recorded in 120 functional delivery rooms annually and 40 per cent (about 400) die out of the complications.
In addition, Revital Healthcare has collaborated with United States-based firm Vayu Global Health Innovations to manufacture bCPAP machines locally and help reduce child mortality in local Kenyan hospitals.
The non-electric respiratory devices for infants and neonates are currently in use by various healthcare providers including the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching Referral Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital and Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya as well as over 15 other countries globally.
Moreover, Tanzania has adopted the upgraded ventilation devices at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) to save more premature newborns suffering from respiratory distress and related diseases.
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