Medela Opens New Production Line in the US and More Than Triples Production in Switzerland of Critical Portable Suction Systems
PR84044
Medela Opens New Production Line in the US and More Than Triples Production in Switzerland of Critical Portable Suction Systems Aiding Hospital Ventilator Support and Patients with COVID-19
BAAR, Switzerland, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--
- Launch of US Vario 18 AC Production Line as Rapid Response to Local Surge of
Infection Rates
- Expands Access to Vario 18 as well as Dominant Flex and Basic Suction Pumps
across the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia and Saudi Arabia
Medela AG, today announced the launch of a new US production line of its Vario
18 AC Portable Suction Pumps [
] – up to 10,000 units are to be produced and shipped to the local hospitals
and healthcare facilities by August to meet the acute demand. Simultaneously,
the company has more than tripled its Swiss production of surgical and airway
suction pumps, including Vario 18, Dominant Flex and Basic [
], since mid-March to address urgent needs in this pandemic crisis. These
devices provide crucial suction and fluid removal during respiratory treatment
provided by ventilators and the rapid expansion of the production facilities is
intended to help meet the growing and ongoing needs of hospitals and other
healthcare facilities across five continents.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1167986/Medela.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/282613/medela_logo.jpg
Traditionally, hospitals ensure a patient's airway is clear by utilising
suction that relies on central wall piped vacuum. According to information
recently published by the National Health Service (NHS)(1), hospitals should
not use piped vacuum to support infectious disease units (IDU) to reduce the
risk of virus spread and cross-contamination. With hospitals and other
treatment facilities experiencing overcrowding, added beds, and new layout
configurations, there is a need for light-weight, portable, and easy to
manoeuvre suction equipment. Additionally, the Medela pumps are equipped with a
disposable virus filter and fluid collection system and may reduce the risk of
infection for caregivers and patients(2).
"Standard of care in the ICU requires each patient to be provided with a single
suction device. It is critical not to share suction between patients to avoid
cross-contamination and to refrain from wall suction wherever possible, due to
concerns about virus transmission. Rather, it requires the provision of
portable, reliable and quiet suction equipment to support each individual
patient," says Dr. Stephan Cole, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at
Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland, and President of the Scottish Intensive
Care Society, adding: "With this new reality ahead of us until we have a
vaccine, we need to be able to rapidly increase our ICU bed capacity within 2
or 3 weeks of notice. This means we must prepare, plan and stock hardware such
as ventilators, suction pumps and monitors to manage for future surges."
As COVID-19 continues to spread and healthcare systems are planning for
potential future surges, ventilator and suction pump manufacturers scramble to
produce more units. While mechanical ventilators are essential for patients in
an intensive care unit, so is accompanying suction pump equipment for the
removal of lung secretions generated from the inflammatory process of the
coronavirus. Thanks to the mobility, independence from piped vacuum systems and
reduced risk of infection for caregivers and patients, mobile surgical and
airway suction systems is the path to be taken going forward to ensure optimal
care for patients and meet future challenges of global health.
"Pairing ventilators with portable suction technology like the Vario 18 or our
Dominant Flex and Basic devices is crucial to ensuring pulmonary hygiene to
support patient care and recovery. We saw the needs of hospitals across the
globe and began efforts to ramp up production already in March," said Annette
Bruls, chief executive officer of Medela worldwide. "However, the demand
continues to outpace our capacity by far. This is why we decided to build this
additional capacity in the United States so we can better support hospitals and
clinicians to aid in recovery and preparedness for any potential resurgence in
the future."
Medela has been a pioneer in suction technology for nearly 60 years and
manufactures a suite of professional medical vacuum solutions essential for the
treatment of patients who require hospital or intensive medical care. Thanks to
their mobility, the units comply with NHS recommendations for piped vacuum and
are equipped with reusable or disposable collection systems and a virus filter
to prevent cross-contamination in the hospital environment. The solutions are
widely used in Europe, and Medela's dedicated COVID-19 team assessed the
current need to ramp up production worldwide to help address the pandemic.
To learn more about ways Medela is aiding COVID-19 efforts, visit the: COVID-19
information hub [
].
For information about mobile medical vacuum solutions, please visit:
COVID19.MedelaHealthCare.com/solutions [
].
About Medela
Medela, headquartered in Baar (Switzerland) was founded in 1961 and is one of
the world's leading companies in the development and production of breast milk
feeding products and medical vacuum technology solutions. In cooperation with
renowned researchers, experts and universities, Medela conducts basic and
exploratory research to enhance its product portfolio improve future patient
care and the quality of life of our customers. Medela has 21 subsidiaries
across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia, and a sales network of
independent partners in more than 100 countries. The company runs production
and warehouse facilities in Switzerland, the US and China and employs over
1,800 people worldwide. www.medela.com - www.medelahealthcare.com
(1)
(2)
Media Contact:
Angela Heer
+41-41-562-15-08
MedelaTeam@ogilvy.com
SOURCE: Medela LLC
本プレスリリースは発表元が入力した原稿をそのまま掲載しております。また、プレスリリースへのお問い合わせは発表元に直接お願いいたします。
このプレスリリースには、報道機関向けの情報があります。
プレス会員登録を行うと、広報担当者の連絡先や、イベント・記者会見の情報など、報道機関だけに公開する情報が閲覧できるようになります。