Breath of Life Foundation, Inc.

URGENT MESSAGE

April 2020 –  About 2 weeks ago, Dr. Charlotte Chiong, Dean of the UP College of Medicine called me up to inform me of the impending crisis in the Philippines due to COVID-19, the lack of medical supplies and equipment, particularly, ventilators. She asked if the OstreaVent ventilator could be used for adult patients. I told her that the OstreaVent was intended only for sick newborn infants and children up to 5 years of age. However, sensing the urgency of her voice and the situation, I informed her that we will work on modifying the OstreaVent so that it could also be used for adults. I therefore immediately convened a core team of medical and engineering experts for the task and we have been working feverishly on the project while racing with time. The project needs work and funds to reach its goal (prototype) and beyond (production). You could help us through your prayers and financial support. The need is great! Please help us help!

                                                        Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., M.D

DONATE FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Make a deposit to our Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) account
Account Name: Breath of Life Foundation, Inc.
Checking Account Number: 3521-1072-18

THE STORY

Dr. Enrique R. Ostrea was motivated to design a low-cost, affordable, reliable ventilator after his experience as a neonatologist in government hospitals:

" About fifteen years ago, I was asked to make rounds in a nursery of a government hospital in Tagbilaran, Bohol. In the course of my rounds, I noticed a twelve year-old girl manually ventilating a premature infant with an inflatable bag.

 I asked the neonatologist who accompanied me on rounds what the child was doing and she replied, 'Sir, that is our ventilator!' 

I quickly asked, 'What if the child gets tired or falls asleep?' 

She sadly replied, 'Then, the baby dies, Sir!' 

Ever since, that experience has never left my mind. I eventually found out that it was common practice in many neonatal intensive care units in the Philippines to manually ventilate an infant for lack of ventilators. 

THE VENTILATOR

Dr. Ostrea went on to develop the OstreaVent in collaboration with engineers from the University of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology.

 The OstreaVent is a pressure limited, time cycled ventilator that has undergone extensive animal and clinical studies to prove its efficacy and safety as a ventilator. (Acta Medica Philippina 2010;44:4-9). When compared to a standard, commercial Sechrist ventilator, the OstreaVent has been shown to be as effective and safe ventilator and is produced at one-fourth of the cost. 

The OstreaVent features a graphic display of the respiratory cycles and touch screen controls for ventilator rate, pressure limits for peak inspiratory pressure and positive end-expiratory pressure, alarms for high and low pressures, inspiratory time and I:E ratio. The OstreaVent is protected by a patent granted by the Philippine Government Patent Office in 2012. (Application No. 2-2010-000173). The patent has been donated to and is owned by the Breath of Life Foundation.

Cost: The current cost of the OstreaVent is PHP 400,000 (US $8,000) which is substantially 1/4 the cost of a regular, commercial ventilator for infants

Thank You for Your Prayers & Donations!
Maraming Salamat & God Bless!