MOD arranges air transportation of pulmonary ventilators from Prešov to Nitra

The Ministry of Defence has arranged the air transportation of five pulmonary ventilators from the J. A. Reiman Faculty Hospital with Outpatient Clinic in Prešov to the Faculty Hospital in Nitra in the evening hours of 1 January 2021.

The respirators were airlifted by a military UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter to Sliač Air Base. Due to poor visibility conditions, they then had to be transported by a SVK Army vehicle to Nitra. The delivery was prompt as part of close cooperation between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health on the basis of agreement between the hospital directors.

Praising the excellent engagement with the Ministry of Health, Jaroslav Naď said: “Our soldiers and assets are fully available for the needs and support of healthcare services in the fight against the pandemic. Given the critical situation, we responded immediately to a request for assistance from the Crisis Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Health to transport unique life-supporting multi-layer pulmonary ventilators designed by Chirana Medical.”

Health Minister Marek Krajčí said: “We would like to thank our colleagues from the Ministry of Defence for continued cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 infection. After the across-the-board and country-wide testing forCOVID-19, which was successfully conducted largely thanks to the “backbone” of the operation, formed by the Armed Forces, they have assisted us continually, which was most recently demonstrated in the assistance they provided to the Faculty Hospital in Nitra, which from among the hospitals in Slovakia finds itself in the most serious situation. Additionally, it turned out that the purchase of pulmonary ventilators earlier this spring was the right step forward. Thanks to these devices, we can save more lives. I wish our medical professionals in Nitra and those across the whole of Slovakia a lot of strength and energy. As the Minister of Health, I fully stand behind you and thank you for everything.”

Deputy Health Minister Peter Stachura said: “Among the goals of the Crisis Coordination Centre at the Ministry of Health is to find solutions to crisis situations like this one, to facilitate communications between hospitals, to keep track of the latest developments across hospitals, and to provide solutions and mutual assistance. I am grateful for this solution offered the Ministry of Defence. I know that two of those ventilators were used immediately that night to support two patients in critical condition.”

Director of the Nitra Faculty Hospital Milan Dubaj MD PhD said: “Given the very serious condition of some COVID-19 positive patients in the Nitra Faculty Hospital, on behalf of the Nitra Faculty Hospital, I want to thank the director of the Prešov Faculty Hospital as well as for the prompt response of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defence in organising the movement of the high flow ventilators from Prešov to Nitra.”