Locally produced 3D face shields could become available for healthcare workers who are on the front line of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis.

Jamaican authorities are seeking to ramp up the supply of gear for doctors and nurses, with the World Health Organization reporting that a “shortage of personal protective equipment is endangering health workers worldwide”.

CEO of technology company PreeLabs, Yekini Wallen-Bryan, has been developing two essential healthcare products over the last week.

It started out with a query about whether he knew how to make a ventilator and has since evolved into much more.

“I didn’t, but I said I’d look into it. I found that there are a number of individuals around the globe trying to supplement the overwhelming demand that exists in their respective countries, given that global supply chains are heavily disrupted,” he told The Gleaner.

In doing his research on ventilators, he found that face shields were in heavy demand “mainly because N95 masks are in short supply”.

Wallen-Bryan went through the process of testing existing designs and then made modifications.

He and his team have so far pitched the idea to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which is mulling over the proposal.

See full story below.