Fanshawe College shares ventilators used for teaching with local hospitals

Fanshawe College in London, ON has generously shared its supply of ventilators, normally used for training purposes in their respiratory therapy program, with the region's largest hospital, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). With their campus closed, faculty member Dave Wall told the London Free Press that the alternative of leaving the ventilators locked up on campus amidst the COVID-19 pandemic "didn't make any sense."

While not everyone infected with COVID-19 requires a ventilator, some who fall critically ill require them to maintain proper levels of blood oxygen.

LHSC has been contacting various educational facilities over the last week in the hopes of borrowing equipment to increase their life-saving capacity in the event of a large-scale coronavirus outbreak in the area. They routinely share equipment on an as-needed basis with other hospitals in the region, meaning Fanshawe's ventilators could end up at another facility with a more urgent need.

“This is about the greater good and making sure that we’re doing whatever we can to help," said Wall.

The London Free Press later shared in a tweet that the loan of ventilators was followed up with a donation of protective equipment, including safety glasses, masks, and gloves to other regional medical facilities. This equipment is vital in preventing the spread of COVID-19 to health care workers.