The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) received a donation for a pulmonary respirator, called VIDA, which was developed by NASA, the United States aerospace agency. It was delivered by the company Russer, one of 28 institutions chosen and licensed by the American agency worldwide to reproduce the equipment.

“When the pandemic started, we felt the need to help in some way using all of our technological resources and our professionals. It was at that time that NASA made a call to select companies to participate in the project ”, explains Rubens Calbucoy, Russer manager.

“After several steps, we received confirmation of the license. VIDA is a versatile, resistant, and functional lung ventilator that meets all the requirements for a patient with Covid-19. Its design was developed to adapt in field hospitals or with little infrastructure. In addition, the fan is easy to handle and understand ”, explains Calbucoy.

Calbucoy says he was moved after seeing the loss of life, due to COVID-19, in Manaus. Together with the owners and employees of the company, he decided to make a donation to ADRA. “The value of each respirator on the market is $60,000 Brazilian Reais, or about $10,000 USD. But, in addition to donating a fan, Russer will make the fans available at cost price for all aid projects aimed at Manaus ”, he stresses.

Aid to Save Lives

The respirator was delivered by ADRA to Maternidade Ana Braga, a center for high-risk pregnancy care that has also been treating intensive care Covid-19 patients, in Manaus on Friday, February 19th. For Dr. Rosiene Bentes, Director of the institution, the donation is a reason for joy. “Be sure that it will be part of a job that is already being done, which is to save lives. We know that the whole world today needs respirators, and we are happy [they chose us] ”, she points out.

For her, this and other resources are indispensable in the health center she runs, as it serves women from all regions of the Amazonas, a Brazilian state. “We receive donations with an open heart and hope to [continue to] be considered in the [future],” she highlights.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site