CMPC donates mechanical ventilators to Peru developed with chilean technology

Continuing with the commitment of Empresas CMPC to contribute to the mitigation of the pandemic, both in Chile and in the different countries in which it operates, the company will send ten mechanical ventilators, Neyün model, and two Emergency Dual Mechanical Ventilation devices, model Neyün Split, to Peru, both developed and manufactured one hundred percent in Chile.

At the moment, the neighboring country surpassed the barrier of 800 thousand infections, placing it in sixth place among the countries in the world with the most confirmed cases, and in third place regarding to Latin American countries, therefore its need to add more and better tools to combat or mitigate the effects of the pandemic are part of its priorities.

The equipment called Neyün – which means “to breathe” in Mapudungún – are donated by CMPC through its subsidiary Softys, and once they arrive in that country, they will be delivered by Softys Peru to the Edgardo Rebagliati Martins National Hospital in Lima, one of the most demanded of the Peruvian capital during the health emergency.

The Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Andrés Couve, pointed out that this is “an important moment to celebrate partnerships, to celebrate work, which not only has to do with the manufacture of mechanical ventilators but also how the process has been an inspiration to the innovation community; it has been a challenge to establish validations in Chile of medical equipment through an alliance with universities; and by therefore an additional step so that we can specify this manufacture of mechanical ventilators as a substantial contribution from the innovation community and now at the Latin American level”.

The president of Empresas CMPC, Luis Felipe Gazitúa, stated that “we believe that companies like ours should get involved to help find solutions to the problems we are experiencing. We believe that a company of the size, presence and history of CMPC, with 100 years in the country, has the obligation to take care of issues that we previously viewed as foreign problems. Helping and cooperating in the health problem has seemed to us a necessity. In this contingency, ventilators save lives, and no matter how minimal the amount, we believe that it is the least we can do”. 

He added that “are present in Peru for a quarter of a century, which is why we feel like one more Peruvian company, therefore, we could not stop reaching out to those places where we are and that have received us as locals. We directly employ more than 1,500 people in Peru, we recognize the history of disagreement that has existed between both countries, but we have many reasons to do things together and to always look to the future as sibling nations”.

For his part, Jaime Pomareda, Ambassador of Peru in Chile, the authority in charge of facilitating the donation and entry of the equipment to the neighboring country by the Peruvian government, said that “this is not the first time that CMPC supports and helps us. It has already generously sent protection equipment to Peru and has cooperated with hundreds of Peruvians who, in the absence of repatriation flights, have been staying in shelters in Chile”.

He added that “the pandemic has hurt us a lot, it has exposed our shortcomings and needs, but it has also provided opportunities for those we appreciate to collaborate with us, and to be able to receive contributions like these, which we deeply appreciate.”

 The fans were developed in just three months by Desarrollo de Tecnología y Sistemas (DTS) in collaboration with Empresa Nacional Aeronáutica (Enaer) and Maestranzas del Ejército (Famae).

This initiative arises from the public-private program “Un Respiro para Chile”, launched at the beginning of 2020, which facilitated the process of technical validation and scaling of mechanical ventilation prototypes in Chile, promoted by SOFOFA Hub, Socialab, the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), and supported by the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Economy.

Description of the equipment

The Neyün mechanical ventilator is a traditional device that is easy to use and intuitive with the most used ventilatory modes. The device is validated for use in intensive care patients with critical respiratory failure. They are made one hundred percent in Chile and do not require imported elements. Some of its characteristics: 

• Touch screen that allows constant monitoring of patient data
• Self-adjusting graphics and differentiable colors
• Ergonomic design and easy-to-read monitor
• Pressure-volume curve to evaluate alveolar recruitment
• Gas supply connection from hospital pipeline
• Electrical connection to the AC network (220v)
• Emergency power supply with autonomy of more than 1 hour
• Easy to transport, disassemble and install

On the other hand, the Neyün Split are devices designed for dual emergency mechanical ventilation, which allows two patients to be connected to a mechanical ventilator in a synchronized manner and with similar ventilation requirements, monitoring each patient individually.