As part of a corporate-university cooperation scheme, Hungarian experts have developed a portable ventilator that is effective in the treatment of respiratory failure caused by the novel coronavirus. By filtering the outflowing air, the local invention – that can be equally operated utilising a battery and cylinder combination – provides protection for health care workers treating patients.
At present, there are 75,000 workers in Hungary who are in jobs requiring secondary qualifications because of the absence of language certificates. As part of the job creation programme of the Economy Protection Action Plan, 75,000 students are being released from the obligation of presenting language certificates as the economy will need workers with degrees, Minister for Innovation and Technology László Palkovics said at the Tuesday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the virus.
The 56 thousand masks and 300 pieces of protective clothing donated by the Chinese higher education institution arrived in Hungary together with other donations on 6 April 2020 aboard a plane from Shanghai. The University, which is planning on establishing a campus in Budapest, already regards Hungary as its second home, and this is why its directors feel it important to provide assistance in this difficult situation.
A dozen research and development programmes aimed at reinforcing the healthcare response to the coronavirus are currently running in Hungary based on Hungarian professional knowledge and capacities, thanks to over 2.3 billion forints (EUR 6.26 million) in government funding. The heads and representatives of these research groups reviewed the progress and expected results of these improvements during a videoconference today, with the participation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Health care workers will be able to travel free on regional public transport, the Minister of State of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology said at the Operational Group’s Saturday online press conference.
“The Ministry for Innovation and Technology has called on the heads of higher education institutions to maintain measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and protecting people’s health within the framework of a rectoral decree, despite the expiry of the previously ordered state of emergency. Students at universities and colleges will continue to be taught via distance teaching next week”, the Ministry said in a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Thursday.
Protecting people’s health and keeping the national economy in motion are common goals, the Parliamentary and Strategic State Secretary of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology said at the Wednesday online press conference of the operational group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus infection.
The flight that arrived in Budapest in the early hours of the morning on 24 March 2020 has delivered 70 tonnes of medical instruments and protective health care supplies in total. In addition to more than 3 million face masks, the latest consignment which constitutes a common procurement of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology and Semmelweis University also includes 86 ventilators.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the protective health care supplies ordered by the Hungarian government successfully landed in Budapest, the Ministry for Innovation and Technology informed the Hungarian news agency MTI.
A Hungarian consortium is being set up for the development of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of the disease caused by novel coronavirus, the Ministry for Innovation and Technology informed the Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday evening.