Plateau Inventor has built a working ventilator as plateau officials confirm this in Jos
These
life support machines often provide mechanical respiration for patients
with respiratory failure, such as those with critical coronavirus
disease.
Nigeria presently needs at least 100 ventilators for a start, to guarantee success against Coronavirus, Officials say.
However,
as the coronavirus pandemic rages, ventilator makers around the world
have reported overseas orders surging beyond their supply capacity.
“Several
orders from Nigeria have not been delivered due to high demand,” says a
federal hospital administrator, Dr. Edmund Banwat.
To remedy the
situation, Jerry Mallo, 25, in late March 2020, proposed to Officials in
Plateau State, to build and supply ventilators at a cost nearly 95%
lower than the original market price.
The State approved the proposal but released funds for the production of one sample machine.
At the time, two local engineers from the State revived three broken ventilators in the State’s only federal hospital, JUTH.
Mallo
however kept his innovation secret until Monday 13th April 2020 when he
confirmed exclusively to MK that he was mobilized for the project.
“About the ventilator, I was given the money. We will soon be concluding work,” he said in a social media chat.
On Wednesday April 15, 2020, the State Governor, Simon Lalong announced the completion of the project.
“Our
homegrown innovator, Engr. Jerry Mallo, who was earlier mandated to
fabricate ventilators, has come up with a product, which is being tested
by health experts for possible deployment as the need arises,” Mr.
Lalong said in a State broadcast.
Mallo’s ventilator if accepted would be the first in Africa and one of the few in the world.
The
local highschool graduate started technological explorations came to
limelight in 2016 when he produced the continent’s first locally made
tractor.
In September 2019, he unveiled the first Nigerian luxury Sports Car which he named Purrie, a local name for horse in Central Nigerian Ron tribe.
Mallo’s
company, Bennie Agro Nigeria ltd has manufactured several agro-related
machines including rice processing plants, Irish potato processing
machine, and most recently, foot-press hand washbasin.
