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Jan 8, 2019
2 min

‘Hacking’ medical equipment repair in war-torn Mosul

Following three years of occupation by ISIL and intense fighting to remove them, the healthcare system of the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul has been left in shambles. Many healthcare facilities were destroyed as they were used as safe havens, yet they face increasing demand as displaced population return to the region. At the same time a community of young techies gathered to find ways to improve the lives of their compatriots through building the capacity for innovation and t

Jun 15, 2018
1 min

Medical Repairs in Syria

In Syria, our senior engineer Usamah has been repairing various medical equipment for damaged hospitals. Some of the items he has repaired include dermojet needles and V.A.C devices. He was able to assist them and make a new sealant for the dermojet from PTFE material, and repaired the V.A.C devises by replacing pumps. Most recently, Usamah has been working in a hospital where airstrikes have rendered much of the equipment unusable. The hospital is build under 16 feet of soli

Feb 6, 2018
1 min

Repairing items in Hospitals in Syria

Usamah, a Field Ready colleague resides in Idlib province and has been working diligently to serve those in need in the surrounding area. Many have died from the increased bombings and hospitals and attacks on hospitals has increased. Reports by aid agencies stated that the maternity hospital was hit by airstrikes three times in four days. The situation is dire, and people desperately need medical attention. In besieged areas, this poses as a major challenge, especially when

Jun 27, 2017
1 min

Baby Warmer Bracket Repair

Baby warmers are essential to maintain infants body temperature and to keep them safe and secure. They are an expensive item which can be rendered useless if key parts are broken. At a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal there were many baby beds with corner brackets that were broken. The hospital was unable to simply order new corners because the baby warmer was no longer in production. As a result, hospital workers improvised a design to try and fix the broken corners, but due to

Nov 18, 2016
1 min

Improving Health Outcomes for Children

Giving children a healthy start is a considerable challenge in crisis-affected areas. Children make up 50% of crisis-affected populations and account for a majority of diarrheal and pneumonia cases. Recognizing that little things can sometimes make the biggest difference, Field Ready is working in partnership with Save the Children UK and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to support disease reduction through hand hygiene innovation with the program "Hidden In

Oct 12, 2016
2 min

3D Printing Spare Parts for Vital Medical Equipment in the Field

Field Ready has worked in Nepal with Trishuli District Hospital to fix and maintain vital medical equipment using 3D printed parts. The hospital was badly affected by the earthquake, and with many of its buildings destroyed, it has been running services from tents. Harsh conditions and lack of technical staff mean that medical equipment often breaks down. There are particular challenges around mending damaged equipment; much of the equipment is donated by aid agencies and im

Sep 29, 2016
2 min

Designing 3D Printable Medical Devices

Field Ready has been working with World Vision to start developing a catalogue of 3D printable medical items that can be made in Health Posts, clinics and hospitals. The items being developed will support World Visions’ program to distribute medical equipment to Health Posts damaged in the Nepal earthquake. We are developing a number of items, including everyday tweezers, Cheatle forceps, kidney trays, a fetoscope, an otoscope, a stethoscope, a glove hook, a wrist brace and a

Aug 23, 2016
1 min

The Humanitarian Sector Meets Its Makers: FAB12 Conference

An exciting new era is arising, with many more opportunities for collaboration between humanitarians and makers. In mid-August, the FabLab network has welcomed the concept of ‘Humanitarian Making’ by including a Humanitarian Track as a key theme at its 12th annual conference. The FAB12 conference was held in Shenzen, China and enabled the thought leaders of the FabLab community to come together with people actually running the FabLabs, as well as humanitarian and private sect

Jul 20, 2016
2 min

Iterative design of a set of 3D printed tweezers

What is it like to design a 3D printed part? We would like to share with you a recent example of the of the journey we take when designing even simple parts – in this case a set of plastic tweezers. To give some context, sets of plastic tweezers are a common item in health kits around the world and are particularly useful in primary health care (the kind of care that most people need, most of the time). They are used by staff for foreign object removal and to handle sterilise

Feb 26, 2016
2 min

Launching the First Digital Catalogue for Making Basic Medical Equipment in the Field

Field Ready’s vision aims to diminish and eventually eliminate long, costly procurement procedures by ensuring that aid agencies can simply make what is needed, when it is needed, where it is needed. This is particularly important for Health Posts, small medical centres which provide a first point of care for people in remote areas. At present, aid agencies run needs assessments at target Health Posts to identify key equipment needs. With the day-to-day challenges of procurem

Jan 28, 2016
2 min

Intro to Nepal's Supply Chain Challenges

THEME 1 - HEALTH Healthcare close to the point of need is essential, and consequently many health posts and hospitals in Nepal operate in remote and challenging conditions. This is especially true in the aftermath of the earthquake, after which many health facilities found themselves operating out of tents. Health facilities rely on a wide range of specialist equipment in order to provide their services, and often the more complex the equipment, the more likely a component wi

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BLOG

Who we are About Us Vision Why we're unique People Partners Overview Documents FAQ

Where we work Nepal Syria Crisis South Pacific Iraq USA Past Projects

How we help Our approach Insights & Articles Book

Media Blog Stories In the news Pics/Video Press Kit

Join the team Contact

If you love our work then tell the world!

Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Who we are
About Us
Vision
Why we're unique
People
Partners
Overview Documents
FAQ

Where we work
Nepal
Syria Crisis
South Pacific
Iraq
USA
Past Projects

How we help
Our approach
Insights & Articles
Book

Media
Blog
Stories
In the news
Pics/Video
Press Kit

Join the team
Contact