TANZANIA Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) has sponsored the Arusha Vocational Training Centre (Arusha VTC) to produce medical equipment.
The sponsorship geared to enable Mr George Nyahende, who graduated last year, to manufacture, particularly infant incubators and ventilators locally in Njiro, Arusha. The start-up is called Nyahende Medical Device.
Mr Nyahende said he was motivated to establish local made medical equipment after realising there are challenges for rural hospitals to have those type machines due to high importation costs.
“I had that idea of creating the machines for long time. However, after three years of trial and error I managed to produce them,” Mr Nyahende said told Daily News at the ongoing 47th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), yesterday.
The ventilators and incubators have been produced using simple technology and can use solar, radio batteries or power from the national grid.
“The machines are also simple to operate; they can be operated by even a nurse,” he said yesterday.
Currently, Mr Nyahende said, the machine prototypes are inspected by Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) to establish if they withi8n the country’s standards before they are okayed.
“I am only waiting for certification from TMDA,” said Mr Nyahende.
COSTECH gave the start-up 37m/- for ventilators development but incubator is self-sponsored. The first stage of the building inspection for the factory was conducted in March and the second one last month.
“I am currently making minor adjustment to comply with the inspectors’ observations,” he said.
The factory starts with a capacity of producing up to 30 ventilators and one infant incubator per month.
Meanwhile Mr Nyahende said he has also designed a machine to dry and grind spices and vegetables and thus help small farmers to easily preserve them to avoid harvest post lost.