Rody eyes purchase of oxygen therapy devices
President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to look for funds to purchase oxygen therapy devices which were seen by health experts as an effective treatment for critically ill patients with COVID-19, the Palace said Thursday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Chief Executive had committed to shell out money to buy high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) that delivers oxygen at a high flow rate — a breathing support system that was hailed as a safer alternative than mechanical ventilators.
“It was revealed that high flow nasal cannula is a better option than ventilators. Unfortunately, these are only manufactured in New Zealand and supply is limited. So, he (President Duterte) said we will look for money so we can buy a lot of high-flow nasal cannula,” Roque said in a Malacañang briefing.
An HFNC device is strapped around the head and provides oxygen through a flexible plastic tube inserted into each nostril, making it different from mechanical ventilation which pushes air directly into the lungs.
A study in two hospitals at Chongqing, China found that the use of HFNC “effectively avoided” ventilator utilization for the majority of patients with critical or severe conditions due to COVID-19.
Because of high demand for the device, manufacturers reportedly struggled to meet the sudden worldwide demand.
WestMed, one of the manufacturers of HFNC, announced on its website that the need for its devices is at an “all-time high” and its production facilities are now running 24/7.