Watch: Tygerberg Hospital uses robot to lower infection risk to nurses

Although it may not always seem that way, healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against the spread of the global pandemic we are facing, are in fact human, and are as a result susceptible to infection and fatigue. 

But Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape believe that their new team of colleagues might be able to extend a helping robotic hand.   

Assisting intensive care unit (ICU) specialists at the hospital is a specially trained “robot” named Quinton, who performs some of the ward duties that would otherwise put nurses at risk of being infected. 

Sharing the workload

Coenie Koegelenberg, professor of pulmonology at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), got the idea from his dermatologist wife, who helped him brainstorm ways to alleviate some of the staffing issues at the hospital. 

He said that Quinton would not be replacing nurses, but said that the workload would be shared, with the robot able to perform tasks while being operated remotely. 

“Between the specialists, we will share the workload of COVID-19 patients who end up in ICU. The odds of at least one or all of us falling ill are quite high, so we need to realistically plan for what could happen,” he said.

“If any of the specialists gets the virus and is unable to physically go to work, we will be able to function remotely using the robot, from a phone or a laptop,” said Koegelenberg.

“Using this device will enable us to provide a service if our skills sets are in short supply.”

Watch: ‘Quinton’ in action at Tygerberg Hospital:

Medtech innovations ‘a silver lining’

The robots have been provided by Sunskill, a state-of-the-art clinical training facility at the FMHS, and Sunskill manager Prof Ian Vlok said that the marriage of technology and healthcare is one of the positive features this pandemic has highlighted. 

“The Sunskill clinical training facility uses world class technology to further the skills training of our postgraduate students at Stellenbosch University.

“The robots have given us access to international and national experts in their fields for training with their virtual presence guiding the teaching and training. 

“Now the same technology can allow us to carefully navigate and manage patients in a high-risk environment and reduce risk to our staff. I sincerely hope this initiative will not only have a positive effect during this pandemic but open the door for further innovation and collaboration.”