EDITORIAL

An Engineer in Need is the ‘Engineer’ Indeed!

Dear Members & Readers,

The country is passing one of its hardest times in the known history. Covid-19 pandemic is spreading in Sri Lanka in an alarming rate. Either rich or poor, young or old, every citizen is at an unprecedented health risk. The health care workforce is in a continues battle against the virus and the capacity of the Sri Lanka health care service might be reaching its saturation level sooner or later. In some aspects, the requirement has already exceeded the available capacity with the growing number of infected cases.

While the responsibility of the government and the medical sector is to dampen the peak of the curve by vaccination, education and regulations, the engineering sector have an undeniable role in lifting the system capacity bar further higher. The responsibility of engineers is basically in developing and increasing health care infrastructure and systems.

It was well noted that our engineers came to the front during the first and second waves of Covid-19 as individuals and groups to support the medical sector. The construction of hospital buildings was done by civil engineers while electrical and building services engineers developed the essential elecro-mechanical systems in the hospitals. Mechanical engineers took the lead in inventing and producing protective clothing, disinfection machines etc. while IT engineers developed mobile apps and other systems that help to fight against Covid-19. As the third wave of corona pandemic that we are experiencing now is more lethal than the previous ones, this time we need act faster and differently to lift the level of hospital and other healthcare infrastructure to minimize the number of untimely deaths. It is great to see that some segments of the engineering fraternity are already working tirelessly as individuals or groups on volunteer basis to uplift the medical infrastructure of the country. As the number of patients with breathing difficulties are higher this time with the growing number of infected cases, the main requirement is to develop oxygen storage and supply systems.

Several projects on the installations of oxygen supply systems in hospitals are handled by engineers as it is the most critical requirement in the medical sector today. This initiative will save the lives of hundreds whom that may otherwise die due to breathing difficulties. Engineers are also sacrificing their time and knowledge to make the oxygen supply systems in place. Further, the projects to fabricate and supply hundreds or thousands of hospital beds are also done by the engineers. Some of these efforts are differently interpreted and underestimated by several segments in the society but the good work of the engineers done in good faith for the common benefit is always to be appreciated.

This is the time that country needs the contribution of the engineering community. Let us get together at this critical moment and share our time, effort, and engineering expertise in whichever way to save the lives of the citizens of our motherland.

Stay safe & contribute!

Eng. Suran Fernando
Editor, SLEN
suran.fernando@gmail.com
editor.slen@iesl.lk