The assisted breathing helmet developed in Ceará helps reduce the need for ICU admission by up to 60%, with a cost 72 times lower than that of a mechanical ventilator.
The Edson Queiroz Group donated 150 Elmo helmets to the São Paulo Health Department. The equipment will assist the public healthcare system in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the company has donated 566 units of the equipment, preventing several people from being intubated and having to be admitted to an ICU.
The device utilizes a mechanism of non-invasive artificial respiration developed by a multidisciplinary team in the state of Ceará and began production in December 2020 by the Group’s appliance company, Esmaltec. In four months, over 9,000 helmets have already been delivered.
The average cost of treatment with Elmo is up to 72 times cheaper than treatment with the use of a common mechanical ventilator acquired by the government, according to data from the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), representing not only improvements in patient treatment but also savings for public funds.
“Social commitment and entrepreneurship are at the core of the Edson Queiroz Group, so we spare no effort to join forces in the fight against the pandemic. We put our professionals and structure in the development of strategies, alongside the government, so that we could help minimize the impacts caused by COVID-19,” says Carlos Rotella, president of the Edson Queiroz Group.
In addition to Esmaltec, responsible for the production of the helmets, the development of the equipment involved the Government of the State of Ceará, through the Department of Health (Sesa), the School of Public Health of Ceará (ESP/CE), and the Cearense Foundation for Support to Scientific and Technological Development (Funcap), as well as the University of Fortaleza (Unifor), the Federation of Industries of Ceará (FIEC) through the National Service for Industrial Learning (Senai Ceará), and the Federal University of Ceará (UFC).
The Edson Queiroz Group has been carrying out various actions in the regions where it operates to minimize the negative impacts during the pandemic. The initiatives are conducted through its businesses and focus on communities and healthcare professionals working on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. In addition to producing the Elmo helmet, Esmaltec also produced 60,000 components for face shields for healthcare professionals.
In partnership with the Government of the State of Ceará, Nacional Gás, an energy company of the Group, is part of the “Vale Gás Social” program, which delivers gas cylinders to families in situations of social vulnerability in the capital and the interior. Through Minalba Brasil, a food and beverage company, a project was developed in partnership with Inoar Cosméticos to distribute 75,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. The action took place in the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Ceará, and Paraíba. In Ceará, over 20,000 bottles were distributed to entities such as Lar Torres de Melo, SOPAI Children’s Hospital, Maracanaú City Hall – for distribution to families in situations of social vulnerability, and Central Única das Favelas (CUFA), which will distribute them among residents of communities.
About the Edson Queiroz Group – Since 1951, the Edson Queiroz Group has been present in various moments of Brazilians’ lives through a diverse portfolio of brands and products from various segments. Throughout its history, the Group has consolidated a culture of pioneering and developing major businesses, employing directly over 10,000 employees and always guiding its decisions on the ethical principles that underpin all its relationships. Areas of operation and brands: Energy, with storage, bottling, and distribution of LPG with Nacional Gás; Appliances, with Esmaltec; Food and Beverages, with Minalba Brasil; Communication, with Sistema Verdes Mares; Agribusiness, with Esperança Agro farms; and Real estate development, with Quepar Incorporações.
About Esmaltec – Esmaltec, a company of the Edson Queiroz Group, is one of the largest national manufacturers of appliances. With 57 years of history, white-line products are present in the main retail stores nationwide. The company owns the Gelágua® brand, a term by which Esmaltec water coolers are known, both tabletop and floor-standing. With an industrial park of almost 90,000 square meters in Maracanaú, Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, Ceará, it produces more than 365,000 products per month. It currently generates 3,100 jobs directly and indirectly, with 2,900 employees.