A true task force responded to the urgency of the National Health Service.
In a solidarity action, and under the coordination of the Escola Superior de Educação (ESE), in collaboration with the Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão (ESTG) and Porto Global Hub, several teachers joined in the production of integral protection visors for the National Health System.
The donation of this material started from a list of needs previously identified by the NHS. And even at a time when classroom teaching activities are suspended, mobilization was immediate.
Prudência Coimbra, President of ESE, describes this action as “the recognition of an imperative need and the responsability of the Polytechnic of Porto of its mission in society”. “Given the current needs of the National Health Service, and the excellent service provided, we feel the need to put our skills at the service and contribute to these difficult times."
The visor, produced in 3D printers, with elastic and acetates, is based on a project that has been developed, modified and produced internationally following the original model by Josef Prusa and altered to use A4 acetate sheets. "With the support of several companies, which donated material, an assembly line was created at home” - clarifies the president - “more than a dozen teachers produce the pieces from home using 3D printers, a single employee collects the pieces, concentrates them at the Escola Superior de Educação and the hospital collects the material, duly inventoried and
“The prototype has already been tested and is fully adapted to the needs” - declares Dr. Márcio Rodrigues, from the Administration Center of Hospitalar do Santo António and director of the Logistics Service. "The Full Face Visor, developed with a reusable structure, fully responds to the needs that may arise, especially with regard to this specific material. They work perfectly and as the visor is disposable, they can be used several times without prejudice to the protection of our professional. ”
"The Hospital de Santo António still has the capacity to respond" - he continues - "but we fear that the situation will change drastically. We are very dependent on international suppliers, so this paradigm shift, in which production takes place locally, with highly trained people and highly motivated, is an essential example of positive collaboration. ”
“Civil society needs answers and we create solutions" - says Prudência Coimbra - "This is a joint action, by the Polytechnic of Porto, which was challenged by a teacher close to the Hospital de Santa Maria da Feira. Today, despite all constraints, created the assembly line we are able to respond with hundreds of visors a day.”
Also a group of teachers, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), are printing supports for the protective visors of health professionals, on 3D printers from home, contributing to the reinforcement of the stock of this equipment in hospitals.
"I think we can be proud of, at a particularly difficult time, responding to the request of our central hospitals and giving our best contribution to the fight against the pandemic" - concludes the president of ESE. visors for the Hospital de Santa Maria da Feira and hundreds are being produced for the Hospital de Santo António in Porto. Hospital de Gaia and Hospital de São João have already expressed their interest.
Photograph of a doctor from the Emergency Department at the Centro Hospitalar Entre Douro e Vouga for the Covid-19 area equipped with a visor produced at P.PORTO
