Funds to support the building of COVID-19 sample collection kiosks and an increased supply of PPE kits for local hospitals. Volunteers from Lam Research India collaborated with local doctors to design a kiosk for COVID-19 sample collection
Lam Research India today announced funding to local organizations to help address the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits available in the state for COVID-19 testing.
In addition, some of the Lam funds will be used to build Suraksha kiosks, named after the Hindi word for safety or protection, which features an innovative design that eliminates the need for full-body PPE kits since it provides a protective physical barrier between the health professional and the patient.
The Suraksha kiosks were originally designed by 13 volunteers from Lam Research India along with five local doctors, who collaborated to outline the key problems with the COVID-19 sample collection process that an engineering team could help address. The first kiosk was funded by the volunteer team and built by a local vendor.
Realizing the benefits of the kiosk, the Department of Medical Education requested more Suraksha kiosks for hospitals across the state. Lam India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team offered to provide funds for the additional kiosks, as well as PPE kits, as part of its community engagement activity.
The first two of the Suraksha kiosks were installed at the city’s Victoria and Bowring Hospitals and the District hospital, Chikkaballpaur. Using each kiosk, technicians can test an average of 200 people per day.
“This is a great initiative by volunteers from Lam Research India,” said Dr. K Sudhakar, Minister of Medical Education for the Government of Karnataka. “The uniquely designed kiosks protect frontline healthcare workers. I would like to thank Lam’s volunteers and its CSR team for stepping forward to help the community in this time of dire need.”
The kiosk is built with a pressurized and filtered working area, a three-sided sampling interface, an automated sanitization system, extended reach gloves assembly, and separated sample-collection areas to facilitate the safety of the patients and the health care personnel. They feature a built-in sanitizing system so that only one health professional is needed to collect a sample, freeing the previously needed second health professional to assist with other patients.
“At Lam Research, we are proud of the accomplishments of our people and their positive contributions to the community,” said Krishnan Shrinivasan, VP and Managing Director of Lam Research India. “We hope that these sample collection kiosks and additional PPE kits will provide much-needed support to our healthcare professionals and hospitals.”
Lam actively encourages its employees to participate in community engagement activities that promote the spirit of giving back. Lam Research India’s CSR program works closely with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and schools to provide students from economically weaker sections of the society with better infrastructure and financial assistance, with a focus on STEM education and a better quality of life. Through its global philanthropy programs, Lam Research supports organizations that support education, societal well-being, and activities that employees care about. It is through these programs that the company extends its Core Values into the communities where our employees live and work.
Lam Research Corporation is a global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry.
