Video: Etihad manufactures 3D-printed face shields for UAE’s healthcare workers

Etihad Airways has developed 3D-printed face shields made from 100 per cent recycled materials for medical staff in the UAE to mark Zayed Humanitarian Day.

Etihad Airways Medical Centre (EAMC) collaborated with Etihad Engineering to develop 1,000 of these shields.

“As part of our CSR efforts, as an organisation we challenged ourselves to determine what we could do to help combat the effects of this global pandemic. With high demand for PPE in the UAE, our innovative design team at Etihad Engineering successfully developed 1,000 face shields for us to distribute locally,” said Dr. Nadia Al Bastaki, vice president medical services at Etihad Aviation Group, on Tuesday.

Etihad Airways Medical Centre collaborated with Etihad Engineering to utilise their latest 3D printing technology to develop protective face shields. Thousands of face shields will be distributed to healthcare professionals around the UAE.#ZayedHumanitarianDay pic.twitter.com/G9MAjwvEXH

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) May 12, 2020

“With the logistical support of Emirates Red Crescent, we’ll start distributing the face shields to medical professionals at EAMC and SEHA this week,” added Al Bastaki.

A press statement on its website stated that the face shields were designed and manufactured using Etihad Engineering’s latest 3D printing technology certified by the highest aviation standards.

The shields were validated by EAMC’s medical team to ensure they deliver the necessary protection.

It features a reusable plastic band which requires standard disinfection (similar to a mobile phone) and a disposable plastic shield which can be replaced with sheets found at any stationery store.

The airline said that additional plastic sheets will be distributed along with the face shields.

In collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and with Emirates Red Crescent, through Etihad Guest miles donation drives, Etihad Airways has provided ventilators, masks, gloves and soap to refugees and other displaced people.

The airline is also donating over 1000 units of essential supplies to SEHA, Emirates Foundation, ADNEC Field Hospital and Trade Centre Field Hospital with bags containing children’s activity packs and essential bathroom amenities.

Al Bastaki said that over 3,000 Etihad Airways’ employees had volunteered to support government initiatives and were deployed to SEHA, Ma’an and Emirates Red Crescent, with 800 having registered on the UAE Volunteers Platform to respond to the Covid-19 situation.

“An overwhelming number of our employees have selflessly put their hand up to volunteer, from working at call centres, to distributing masks and gloves and physically cleaning the streets of our capital city as part of the government’s sanitisation programme,” said Al Bastaki.

The airline along with Grace Conservation will also distribute 1,000 gift boxes to families in need containing clothes for adults and children.

It has also partnered with Emirates Red Crescent to produce and deliver 1,000 meals per day to Humanitarian City, a month-long initiative which began on April 15 and will continue through Ramadan.

Last month, it launched the Etihad Ramadan Box and partnered with food delivery platform Zomato to deliver these Iftar meals across the UAE.

Those who are receiving the Ramadan meal boxes include hospitals, healthcare and essential workers, volunteers, communities in need and others impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Read: Etihad to distribute Ramadan boxes to healthcare workers in the UAE