Mick Clifford podcast: The battle is on to ensure Ireland has enough ventilators for Covid-19 crisis

The onslaught of the Covid 19 virus is expected to putour hospital service under severe pressure, writes writes Mick Clifford.

Among the biggest worries will be whether the system will be able to cater for all those who are worst affected by the virus, and particularly patients who will need assistance in breathing through ventilators.

Throughout the world there is a shortage of ventilators to deal with this crisis and already in Italy doctors are being forced to choose who should have access to the life saving equipment.

In this country, a number of different groups from engineering backgrounds are attempting to fast track the production of ventilators.

One of these, the Covid ResponseTeam, is attempting to design and build a “battlefield ventilator” in a matter of weeks. Mick spoke to the group’s founder, John Wallace who runs his own specialist engineering company.