Christmas Gift for Vilnius Hospital – Lithuanian donates life-saving equipment to COVID-19 patients

“This is a special Christmas gift, the best that patients with a lot of COVID-19 could have hoped for. The High-Flow device provides the opportunity to do without intubation and artificial lung ventilation, extreme measures in the treatment of insufficiency said surgeon Algirdas Pilvelis, a doctor at the Department of Abdominal Surgery of the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital, which is currently part of VMKL Antakalnio str. 57 coordinator for the treatment of COVID-19. – There is a high risk of certain complications with intubation, and a great effort is required to disconnect the patient from artificial lung ventilation. If possible. “

“Doctors are sacrificing lives for their lives, they are being helped by volunteers and we must all contribute as much as we can,” said Žilvinas Mecelis, founder of the London-based international limited liability fund Covalis capital. He joined donors during the first coronavirus pandemic. In the spring, the banker allocated 250,000 euros to support Lithuania’s fight against COVID-19, which was used to support the charitable initiatives coordinated by the Plungė Hospital, the Andrius Tapinas team project “Wait, Doctors!”, The “Together We Beat” Foundation and the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital.

This time, the value of 11 high-oxygen devices he bought was about 57 thousand. High-oxygen devices allow patients to ensure respiratory function during a viral infection of lung injury, when the patient’s condition becomes critical and worsens. The devices are adapted to the independent breathing of the patient, maintain the patient’s own partial breathing and thus combine technology and “lung anatomy”, preserving respiratory function.

With the high flow oxygen device, the patient remains conscious and mobile. It is a non-invasive method that does not interfere with the application of physiotherapy, allowing the patient to participate in the treatment and recovery process.

Until now, at the VMKL branch, Antakalnio str. There was one of these devices and two artificial pulmonary ventilation (PVD) devices with the “high flow” function, seven “high flow” devices could be used to rescue seriously ill patients on Antakalnio street. 124 active doctors.

“Constantly expanding the treatment capacity at the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital, we faced several challenges, starting with the help of staff and ending with various searches for equipment,” said Povilas Poderskis, Director of the Municipality Administration of the City of Vilnius. – Sometimes, you really have to think that this help is more than funds, more than medical equipment and more than a Christmas present: it has only saved lives. The use of private partners is very important – you can make quick decisions and buy the necessary items here and now. Many thanks to those who contributed and to all those who are about to do so. “

A true Christmas miracle is already on the “bill” for this support project. After discussing the coronavirus treatment resources available to VMKL on Christmas Day, it was agreed with the High-Flow provider that at least one device would be delivered urgently, without waiting for Monday, when a specialist was to deliver and connect it. S t. On Christmas Day the device was brought from Klaipeda and as soon as it arrived at the hospital it was used successfully to help a patient in an extremely difficult condition; at that time, doctors for the high-flow device that he no longer needed were available.