In response to a call from HSE, IT Sligo assembled a project team to manufacture face-visors to assist front-line staff to deal with the Covid emergency, with over 4,500 visors produced and distributed across the region to date.
IT Sligo deliver visors
IT Sligo deliver over 4,500 visors for Covid response teams
The Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor Tom MacSharry at IT Sligo to acknowledge the contribution of face visors manufactured by a team at the college. Accompanying the Cathaoirleach were (L-R) Councillor Marie Casserly, Councillor Rosaleen O’Grady, Councillor Dónal Gilroy, Councillor Tom Fox, Dr Brendan McCormack, President IT Sligo, Councillor Martin Connolly, Councillor Thomas Walsh
The Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor Tom MacSharry expressed his gratitude to Sligo IT and especially Ruth Moran who coordinated the programme.
‘This gesture is greatly appreciated by Sligo County Council and Sligo Community Support Forum. The distribution of the facemasks to a wide range of agencies of groups has been an invaluable resource and is welcomed by the many people delivering essential services across our county.’
According to Project coordinator Ruth Moran, Research Office IT Sligo,
’There are currently 99 volunteers supporting the manufacture of three types of visor, a cross functional team deriving from the functions of Engineering and Design, Science and Research. We have also volunteers from the Students Union.’
Distribution
IT Sligo have been working closely with our local Community Services for the distribution of our face-shields and with the help of our local HSE, Gardaí, Local Authorities, Order of Malta - Carrick on Shannon we ensure our face-shields are getting to the areas they are needed most. At IT Sligo we have also collaborated with the HSE to source Surgical Gowns and Surgical Masks on their behalf.
We have also been collaborating daily with the HSE on both a National scale and Regional scale and there is currently a daily supply of 80-100 face-shields been distributed to main-stream HSE. A secondary supply of visors have been distributed directly to local Nursing homes both Private and Public, Carer Associations, Chime Deaf Society, Garda Stations, GP Practices, Vets, Pharmacies, local Ambulance Services and local Authorities across the northwest and western region.
Other projects
In response to Covid-19 and in conjunction with our colleagues at Sligo University Hospital and our colleagues in Limerick and Clare, IT Sligo has been designing and prototyping Ventilators. The design of our Ventilators will be available on Open Source shortly. The IT has been collaborating with local Garda to design a Visor Clip which will be of great assistance to Gardaí on front-line duty’.