Gradian Health

Gradian Health Systems is a non-profit social enterprise specializing in the development, distribution, and maintenance of medical equipment for resource-constrained settings. In addition to designing and distributing medical devices for such settings, Gradian seeks to equip health care providers with the skills and technical support required to operate and maintain those devices over the long term. Gradian products are built to withstand challenging conditions, e.g. heat and humidity, electricity interruptions, and oxygen shortages,       without compromising quality. Gradian offers the      Universal Anaesthesia Machine and the Comprehensive Care Ventilator.

Gradian Health’s roll-out of its ventilator was already underway when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. A call from Nepal for more ventilators alerted them to the broader emergency that was about to unfold: ventilators were generally in very short supply in countries where Gradian Health works, and the Gradian team realized that an acceleration of their original roll-out plan was necessary to save lives. They geared up quickly, putting in orders with their manufacturers and examining distribution, service, and support prospects. Keeping in mind the importance of training and support for overall impact, they focused on countries where they already had a strong network of local partners. Gradian Health scaled up its virtual training program to provide remote technical and training support to users.  They added new components to the training to tailor it specifically to treatment of COVID-19 patients, including how to properly put on personal protective equipment, how to administer COVID-19-specific oxygen therapy, and supporting patients through mechanical ventilation.