Afghan girls make ventilators out of car parts

Afghan girls make ventilators out of car parts

By Naveel Krishant
Thursday 21/05/2020
[Photo: BBC]

Afghanistan's all-girl robotics team has turned its focus on coronavirus patients - by making affordable ventilators out of car parts.

The teenagers made headlines in 2017 when they won a special award at an international competition in the US.

Now they are racing against time to deliver ventilators by the end of May, at a fraction of the market price.

The girls, aged between 14 and 17, have built a prototype using a motor from a used Toyota Corolla and a chain drive from a Honda motorcycle.

They say their ventilators will give temporary relief to patients with respiratory difficulty in an emergency when standard ventilators are not available.

Afghanistan, reeling from years of war, has a maximum of just 400 ventilators for a population of 38.9 million. So far, more than 7,650 coronavirus cases and 178 deaths have been confirmed, but the authorities fear the situation could get worse and overwhelm an already fragile healthcare system.

17-year-old Nahid Rahimi told the BBC that it is important even if they can save one life with their effort. Known as the "Afghan Dreamers", the girls come from the western province of Herat, where Afghanistan's first case of Covid-19 was reported.

[Source: BBC]

FEATURE NEWS
More than $5 billion lost because of coups – Prof. Narsey
More than $5 billion has been lost because of the coups in Fiji and all of these events have resulted in our country’s progress being stunted. We co...
14 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Family support crucial when women go through menopause – FWRM report
Societal barriers, taboos, and insufficient education on menopause emerge as common challenges in Fiji according to the new report on the urgent ...
1 minute ago

Health Ministry pushes for inclusive menstrual and menopause awareness
While the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement emphasized the need to educate the public on the challenges women face due to menopause, the Head of Family ...
12 hours ago

Kamikamica to push for reduction of US tariff on Fijian exports
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica says the 32 percent tariff imposed on Fijian exports to the United States is too high ...
13 hours ago

Fijian music legends pay tribute to iconic VITIFM personality Maikeli Radua
A group of Fiji’s renowned local artists led by Vude King and Queen, Seru Serevi and Laisa Vulakoro, presented their i-reguregu to the family ...
13 hours ago

Bus accident in Colo-i-Suva
A bus went off Princes Road in Colo-i-Suva this afternoon. fijivillage News has received information that the bus overturned and is lying on one ...
13 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Coach, Glen Jackson appear on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Coach, Glen Jackson appeared on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan from the Drua base in Nadi. Coming off ...
20 hours ago

Reverend Tugi on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
Watch the General Secretary of Fiji Evangelical Fellowship, Reverend Simione Tugi on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay ...
36 days ago

fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan and William Parkinson
Chairman of Communications Fiji Limited, parent company of FM96, LegendFM, VitiFM, Navtarang, Radio Sargam, fijivillage and PNGFM, William Parkinson ...
37 days ago

TOP