CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall based company SigmaPoint Technologies Inc. will be a partner in the production of 10,000 Air1 Ventilators.
The ventilators are being built through a partnership between Montreal based tech company CAE and the federal government. For its part, SigmaPoint will be producing electronic components for the ventilators.
The ventilators will be distributed to intensive care units across the country and SigmaPoint expects to begin production starting next week.
“As COVID-19 continues to challenge all of us globally, our healthcare workers and first responders are constantly putting their health at risk,” said SigmaPoint CEO Dan Bergeron. “There is an urgent need to supply our healthcare providers with PPE and equipment that can help to save lives. CAE is working with the Federal Government to build 10,000 Air1 Ventilators that are to be distributed to intensive care units across the country within 3 months. SigmaPoint is honoured to be selected to play a role with CAE to help save lives within Canada. We will be doing our part by supplying critical electronic components to CAE’s Air1 Ventilators. This contract, and being an integral part of this team, gives all of our employees a strong sense of purpose in helping to battle this disease.”
The announcement of the production of these ventilators comes just one week after Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam warned of a possible surge of COVID-19 cases in the fall that could overwhelm the healthcare system if capacity is not built up now.
“What we know based on what we learned from other countries and cities that had a devastating impact in that initial wave, if you exceeded that capacity the mortality goes up really, really high,” Dr. Tam said.