Military takes lead in production of ventilator, protective equipment to tackle COVID-19

Idealposts
The High Command of Nigerian Military, has said that one of its institution, Defence Industry Cooperation of Nigeria, DICON, engineers, consultants and medical teams, have successfully produced a digital mechanical ventilator known as Dicovent, as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
DICON said that the newly designed low-cost machine is a simple mechanical ventilator that can deliver positive pressured ventilation using a volume-controlled ventilation, VCV system.
Updating Defence correspondent on military preparedness to combat COVID-19, Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, explained that the ventilator has undergone thorough scrutiny and assessment by specialists from top ranging hospitals and experts in the country, including Cedar crest Hospital Abuja, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna amongst others.
General Eneche stated that while Dicovent may not be able to meet the high demands of critical patients, it can be used for Continuous Mandatory Ventilation, CMV and Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation, IPPV.
Coordinator, Defence Media Operations added that it can also be used for invasive ventilation and non-invasive ventilation using an endotracheal tube and mask respectively.
He noted that these inventions by DICON including those by other military institutions of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air force as well as Nigerian Defence Academy have given bright hope to Nigeria healthcare infrastructure on the fight against COVID 19.
General Eneche expressed concern over the devastating pandemic of COVID 19, which he said, has brought a lot of hardship, agony and pains across the globe.
According to him, “The national response to the fight against this virus is not without challenges, ranging from a thorough understanding of the disease to the astronomically high demand for personal protective equipment, mechanical ventilators and other materials to manage the Pandemic”
“Therefore, in response to the CDS directive to the Armed Forces to articulate strategic intervention to support the FGN fight against the COVID 19 Pandemic, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has taken the lead among others, to provide a local content driven response to address the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Nigeria.
“Additional to its primary responsibility to produce defence equipment, DICON has succeeded in diversifying its human, equipment, machinery as well as research and development capacity, to support a much needed strategic intervention to cushion the effects of the highly dreaded COVID 19 in the country.”
General Enenche said the visionary leadership and result oriented leadership of Maj. Gen. Victor Ezugwu, has mobilized its management and staff to research, develop, produce and produce several COVID-19 essential and life saving equipment.
The first he said is the production of over 1500 dozens of DICSanz, a high-quality hand sanitizer produced under very strict environmental conditions, requested by the COAS Lt Gen TY Buratai for supply to troops of the Nigerian Army.