KINGSTON, Jamaica — Wisynco, under its hydration brand, WATA, has made another supplemental donation of 500 modified medical spacers to the South East Regional Health Authority (SEHRA) through the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

The company said the gesture was another step in its efforts to help provide support to Jamaicans affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Wisynco Group Limited’s Senior Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Tamara Ward said “The WATA team was happy to be able to support such a great initiative that not only benefits patients but also makes it easier for the hospital to provide the best care possible to all patients. The idea for using our PET bottles as spacers came from the KPH team and we were happy to bring their idea to life.”

Since the onset of COVID-19, the hospital has revised its policies, no longer allowing the use of traditional nebulizers to treat respiratory patients. Instead, medical spacers are used to reduce the risk of potential exposure of health care workers and other patients to aerosolised respiratory secretions. The devices also help to reduce hospital procurement costs and the inconvenience of patients having to purchase their own when supplies are diminished, said Wisynco.

The medical spacers, also called holding chambers, are created using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, re-engineered to allow respiratory patients to breathe in medication while eliminating the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

KPH Senior Medical Officer, Dr Natalie Whylie, spoke to how critical the medical spacers have been in helping the hospital’s staff to treat patients – whether they have COVID-19 or not. She said, “Since the first COVID-19 patient came to the hospital on March 15, 2020, it has changed the way we manage respiratory patients. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection to asthmatic patients and our staff, we have introduced the use of spacers with our multi-dose inhaler devices. Wisynco has stepped forward and used their innovation to modify their PET bottles so that patients can be nebulised without the risk of aerosolised secretions – since each patient is given their personal spacer for the time they are admitted to the hospital…and can even take it home with them where it can be sterilised and re-used.”

The alliance between Wisynco and the KPH resulted from the beverage company’s response to a call from the hospital late March last year, when it donated more than 2,000 modified spacers for patient use.

Wisynco’s latest donation was made on May 10.