Helping India Breathe: Kashmir Students Make Low-Cost Portable Ventilator From Scrap

Sajid and his friend Jahangir put together scrap material and started working on a ventilatorSrinagar: Two students of the University of Kashmir have made a portable ventilator by using just scrap after witnessing a massive shortage of ventilators during the pandemic. The ventilator prototype is embedded with a cloud-based system which can help doctors to monitor parameters of a patient on their mobile phones. The students in their early 20s say they decided to make affordable and user friendly ventilators after its acute shortage during the peak of Covid.For Sajid Noor, son of a daily wage labourer, it was his passion to do something for the country even when his family was facing livelihood challenges due to the lockdown. Sajid and his friend Jahangir put together scrap material and started working on a portable ventilator. After months of hardwork, the electronics students were successful.“My father, who is a labourer, couldn’t go for work. But my priority was to build something for the nation because the country was struggling due to the shortage of ventilators. We built a small, low-cost ventilator from scrap which was available at our homes,” Sajid told NDTV.Unlike traditional ventilators, the electronic resuscitator is equipped with sensors interfaced with micro-controller which would even monitor posturing of a patient. With the help of an open source android application, the system is connected with a mobile phone – which works as a monitor to display parameters. “We embedded internet in it to monitor patients’ real time data. ECG, temperature, body postponing on real time basis so that a doctor can advice from anywhere,” says Sajid Noor’s partner Jehangir Lone. The innovation has been recognised by the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar. Both Sajid and Jahangir stood first at a COVID-19 open innovation challenge. Sajid says he didn’t allow challenges and livelihood issues to come in his way to build the ventilator. And Jahangir helped him turn the idea into reality.The ventilator will cost less than Rs 20,000, the young men add.As part of the Lottoland Aaj Ka Sitara series, we feature ordinary citizens & their extraordinary actions. Lottoland will support Sajid Noor and Jahangir Lone’s cause with a cash incentive of ₹ 1 lakh.



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