Members of the IEEE UERJ Student Branch, through the IEEE Section Rio de Janeiro, are collaborating with the hospital respirator repair center, a project carried out on the CEFET/RJ Maracanã campus with the support of several institutions and companies. The students are supervised by the Senior member of IEEE Alexandre Pinhel and IEEE section member, a master from the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Yuri Gabrich, in addition to professors from the technical course in mechanics at the Federal Center and professionals in the area of maintenance from company Nova Service.

Students of the IEEE UERJ Student Branch in the mechanical ventilator maintenance laboratory with their supervisors, CEFET/RJ

The initiative has been operating since June 2020, after a few months of joint efforts among CEFET/RJ, Furnas, IEEE, and partners to allow activities to take place immediately and safely. The students were able to collaborate in the repair of 12 mechanical ventilators at the Getúlio Vargas State Hospital (HEGV) in two months of activities. Such an outcome drew the attention of the State Department of Health of Rio de Janeiro (SES/RJ), which then joined the initiative and helped communicate with more hospitals. In addition, to serve as the volunteers for the maintenance in the laboratory, they are also part of the team of other State University of Rio de Janeiro students and professionals remotely taking care of marketing, organization, file submission and other support activities to the repair center.

Volunteers working to repair the ventilators

Julia Aguiar Neri da Silva
UERJ IEEE PES & IAS Student Joint Chapter

Yuri Bastos Gabrich
Section Member