Amidst the rise of premature births in Ukraine, UK companies are partnering together to deliver easy to use and highly portable incubators for prematurely born babies.
Developed by British start-up company mOm, the mOm Essential incubator weighs only 20kg and is compact compared to traditional incubators which can weigh up to 100kg. In a conflict zone such as Ukraine, the mOm incubator can be used immediately by clinicians, without lengthy set-up or training times.
To support health facilities in Ukraine, mOm have partnered with international development not-for profit, Crown Agents, who are managing a Ukraine emergency response to deliver vitally needed medical items into the country. Crown Agents are overseeing the safe delivery of 51 incubators to hospitals across Ukraine, with the first tranche having arrived in country today. The work is being jointly funded by Jersey Overseas Aid, Jersey’s official overseas aid agency, in partnership with a Jersey-based philanthropic foundation.
The incubators being sent to Ukraine can be assembled anywhere in the facility without compromising on quality or health standards. It is energy efficient and can run off multiple power sources, with a back-up battery, which will be vital as Ukraine continues to face power outages.
Since the start of the war, stress and trauma have become a daily part of life for many of the 32 million Ukrainians who have remained in the country. Reports are now stating that this stress is having a negative effect on pregnant women with doctors seeing a sharp rise in premature births.
Incubators are vital for saving the lives of these premature babies, ensuring they remain at a safe, stable temperature. The incubators also shield the child from excessive noise and commotion which can increase blood pressure, disrupt sleep and cause unnecessary stress. Yet, traditional incubators are inaccessible to many hospitals globally due to high costs, energy consumption and their size and weight. In Ukraine, the ease of use and compactness of the mOm incubator will help to reduce burdens on an already struggling healthcare system and overworked healthcare professionals.
CEO & Founder of mOm, James Roberts said: “The original inspiration for the mOm Essential Incubator came from a documentary that focussed on providing Neonatal care in challenging environments. Helping the situation in Ukraine is confirmation that we are doing the right thing and are truly able to give clinicians a flexible solution to their problems not only in the NHS but globally.
“Ultimately, we are helping clinicians save babies lives in difficult circumstances.”
Douglas Melville, Vice-Chair of Jersey Overseas Aid said: “These robust and easy-to-use incubators will undoubtedly save innocent lives and we are proud to be supporting Crown Agents in getting them into besieged cities in Ukraine. This complements previous JOA-funded initiatives with Crown Agents, working through the Ukraine Ministry of Health, ensuring the procurement and distribution of emergency trauma kits, ballistic vests and helmets for frontline medical staff and much needed oxygen concentrators.”
Crown Agents CEO, Fergus Drake said: “We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Health Ukraine through our long-standing work in country and emergency response. Incubators and their accessories are one of the main items they are asking us for right now. We’re delighted to be delivering the most cutting-edge medical goods that will ensure health professionals can provide the best possible care at this critical time.”
