TRHA gets five aeroboxes from Mabe and Unicomer

MABE, through Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd, donated five aeroboxes to the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) on Friday at the Scarborough General Hospital. These are plastic boxes used to create a barrier between covid19 patients and health workers during intubation, and will help protect front-line health care workers at covid19 treatment facilities.

Acting medical chief of staff Dr Victor Wheeler received the donation from Unicomer’s Tobago Operations regional manager Shaun Aleong.

The five items complete a donation of 50 aeroboxes to protect front-line health care workers in TT. Mabe, the leading company of home appliances in Latin America, developed the aerobox as a joint venture between its operational business units in Querétaro, Mexico, and the health authorities there.

Intubation is one of the medical procedures that has the highest risk of contagion and the aerobox will reduce this risk. After going through design, testing, adaptations, and improvements, more than 30,000 aeroboxes will be distributed in Latin America and the Caribbean. To speed up the design and production of the aerobox, it was decided to use one of the drawers that are usually used in Mabe’s brand of refrigerators as a starting point.

“We wanted to use the materials we had in hand and our installed capacity to accelerate the design and production process,” said Farid Arias, Industrial Director for Mabe in the Andean region. “Our collaborators have been key to develop the aerobox in such a fast and co-ordinated way.”

Wheeler and TRHA CEO Westly Orr expressed their sincere thanks for the donation of the aeroboxes as mitigating the spread of covid19 was of paramount importance.

Wheeler said, “The aeroboxes will be located at the Accident and Emergency Department, the two Intensive Care Units and the Operating Theatre.”

Aleong remarked, “This is just the start of what I see as a long term commitment to the people of Tobago. Once our resources allow, we will be willing to assist or support in any way possible. This may be a charitable drive, an environmental initiative or a plan towards social change. I am interested in hearing from you.”