Ford uses F-150 parts to make ventilators for coronavirus patients

Ford has announced that the Detroit-based company is partnering up with firms to help produce medical equipment and protective gear in order to address shortages in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. And to produce them as fast as possible, Ford is using off-the-shelf parts like those found in their F-150 pickup trucks.

One of the companies Ford is teaming up with is 3M and together, they aim to produce a new kind of Powered Air-Purifying Respirator or PAPR for frontline workers. From this partnership, 3M is also increasing the production of its current respirator device.

How the Powered Air-Purifying Respirators work is through a clear mask fitted over the face of the patient. Air is then drawn in through a tube and goes to a filtration system before delivering clean air to the patient.

ford-ventilator

To make this possible, Ford opted to use fans from its F-150 which are responsible for cooling its seats and repurposed them to direct airflow to the ventilator’s internal chamber. 3M’s HEPA air filters then clean the delivered air and are planned to be powered by battery packs that could last up to eight hours. Ford is also working with other companies to provide batteries to power the PAPRs.

Additionally, GE Healthcare is also working hand-in-hand with Ford to further increase ventilator and air pump production. According to Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett, we should be seeing hundreds of thousands of ventilators come May this year.

Operators and assemblers assemble medical face shields.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) Union is also in the picture for the assembly of more than 100,000 clear plastic face shields per week.

Hackett said that history provided motivation for this movement. In the past, Ford has been involved in projects like building helmets and aircraft during World War I and World War II, respectively, and iron lungs for polio patients.

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford also adds that this outbreak is a chance for people to work together.

“This is such a critical time for America and the world. It is a time for action and cooperation. By coming together across multiple industries, we can make a real difference for people in need and for those on the front lines of this crisis,” said Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chairman. “At Ford, we feel a deep obligation to step up and contribute in times of need, just as we always have through the 117-year history of our company.”

Ford is not the first automotive company to lend help to fight coronavirus. General Motors also revealed their plans to partner with other companies to produce ventilators. Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles pledged as many as one million protective face masks per week to donate to frontline workers who are usually exposed to the virus.

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PayMaya enables easy cashless options for BIR, SSS, and other government payments

06/12/2020

Even as most of the quarantine rules have been relaxed across the country, digital financial services leader PayMaya said it is safer and more efficient for Filipinos to pay their government dues online and using cashless methods, options which are already available for the convenience and safety of citizens.

Government agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Social Security System (SSS) have announced a final extension for tax filing and membership dues, respectively, until June 15, 2020.

Citizens can easily pay for their BIR and SSS dues using their PayMaya accounts from the safety and comfort of their homes. For BIR, convenience fees are waived when they pay using the Pay Bills section of the app, while they can get a chance to earn up to 100% cashback when they pay their fees using their PayMaya accounts via the SSS mobile app.

Empowering the government to go digital

Aside from BIR and SSS, PayMaya has also enabled more government agencies and units with the ability to accept card and e-wallet payments as the whole country accelerates its digital efforts in light of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These agencies and units include the PAG-IBIG Fund, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), and the City of Valenzuela, among others.

PayMaya has also partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transport Regulatory and Franchising Board (LTFRB) to equip public utility vehicles (PUVs) such as taxis, buses, and TNVS cars with cashless payments acceptance for commuters.

“We support the government’s efforts to fast-track digitalization efforts for better delivery of public service. This is in line with increasing efficiencies in government services as the country moves towards the New Normal post-pandemic. We at PayMaya are excited to work with more national government agencies and local government units towards those same goals” said Orlando B. Vea, Founder and CEO of PayMaya.

As Filipinos’ day-to-day lives and the economy have been reshaped by the pandemic, Vea said digital payments will become commonplace across all areas of life, making it imperative for more government agencies and local government units to offer cashless means as the primary option.

In addition to convenience and safety, shifting government transactions online also helps facilitate the delivery of more efficient and transparent service to the public, as the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) had recently pointed out.

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How to set up your PayMaya account

To register for a PayMaya account for quick and safe government payments, visit their page or download the PayMaya app for free today. Aside from government transactions, users can also pay other bills, buy airtime load, send money to their loved ones, or shop for groceries and other essentials online using their PayMaya account.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cuts across consumers, merchants, and government. Aside from providing the payment acceptance for the largest e-Commerce, food, retail and gas merchants in the Philippines, PayMaya is enabling national and social services agencies as well as local government units with digital payments and disbursement services.

Through its PayMaya app and wallet, it is providing millions of Filipinos with the fastest way to own a financial account with over 40,000 Add Money touchpoints nationwide, more than double the total number of traditional bank branches in the Philippines combined. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 30,000 partner agents nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to services.

To know more about PayMaya’s products and services, visit their official website or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Press material from PayMaya

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