Light Saves Lives

Only 10 days after installation, Ospital Ng Maynila had confirmed that our test ‘bili-light’ had already saved the lives of 6 babies and that it has been very effective.

 This is great news and we are planning to make more.

 Bili-light’s are designed to help reduce & control hyperbilirubinemia, commonly known as jaundice.

This is a yellowish appearance of the skin is a symptom of a malfunctioning liver. This develops in healthy babies whose blood contains an excess of bilirubin - a toxic pigment produced during the normal breakdown of old red blood cells. Bilirubin accumulates in the skin and other tissues because livers of young babies often cannot metabolize the excess bilirubin they contain.

More than 50% of all normal, healthy infants and about 80% of premature babies develop jaundice. This condition typically disappears after a few days, however, if the blood serum bilirubin concentration exceeds safe levels, it can cause serious neurological damage and treatment is required.

The safest and simplest way to reduce bilirubin level is with phototherapy. Without phototherapy blood transfusions may be required. Such treatment is expensive, which many poor parents, are unable to afford and often treatment is not then provided. In severe cases, when left untreated, this condition can lead to severe brain damage and death.

We found that imported phototherapy lights were far too expensive (Over 300,000 Pesos) for the hospital to afford, and due to lack of funds, Ospital Ng Maynila has been using banks of bare fluorescent lamps. These are not very effective plus due to the close proximity to the fluorescent lamps and the sensitivity of a new baby’s eyes to light, there is a risk of retinopathy of prematurity - blindness.

The Give A Life foundation has now commissioned a local fabricator to produce locally manufactured unit clean room luminaries, that can be produced at a considerably lower cost than the imported models. This unit will still utilize the specialist light tubes and electronics; it will still be capable of the same performance as its imported competition.

A few final refinements are being made to the current design, then we hope to be able to provide up to thirty free bili-lights a month to needy hospitals in Manila.

We have also discovered that many hospitals do not have UV sterilization equipment, perhaps this will be our next problem to solve.

The cost per Unit is 32,000.00

Spare bulbs are 700 pesos per unit

For further information please contact : Please contact Melanie@givealife.com.ph

Or call Steve Rusling on 0917 4282559.