Bradford College have used a 3D printer to create 1,000 masks for frontline staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
The masks have been delivered to the hospital and other healthcare providers in the area including West Riding and Craven Diabetic eye screening programme, Norman Lodge Care Home Bradford, Fountains Medical Centre Leeds and Garrison Medical Centre York.
Technology and Media Manager at Bradford College, Zaid Bashir, has been using a 3D printer as well as other raw materials he could find within the college.
Zaid said:
“Although 3D printing in industry is mostly used for prototyping new products, I soon came to realise that as part of a larger national community we could try and support our NHS staff by helping them protect themselves at a time of crisis, as they are selflessly looking after so many of us.”
Zaid and Bradford College staff have created a video showing how a 3D printer creates a mask.
Dr Bryan Gill, Chief Medical Officer of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The support and generosity shown to our staff and our Trust during this pandemic has been truly heart-warming, and Zaid’s innovation in creating these masks is one example of this.
“We are indebted to him and his colleagues at Bradford College and would like to say a huge thank you to them.
“The Trust has always enjoyed a special relationship with Bradford College and this act of kindness further cements that relationship.”
Olwen Hall, a care worker at Norman Lodge Care Home, Bradford, said:
“Thank you so much for the visors. They are much appreciated. We will all be forever grateful.”