I am a patient with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and I have the need to have the polluted air I breath in filtrated.
More than one year ago I was looking for a company which manufactures respiratory protective equipment, re-usable with nanotechnology ideally.
I have addressed 3 companies, one directly said no, I have communicated several times with the second one but at the end it was also for nothing. At that time there yet haven’t been any interest in the production for the ill – the manufacture is complicated especially with regard to an expensive testing and certification.
But Ing. Jana Zimová for the Respilon company has heard out my request and was ready to discuss the problems and needs of the ill in connection to their airways with me. We met and she offered me to buy face mask at discount prices for the COPD patients as well as asthmatics and the like, while the discount prices were already available to the patients e.g., with oncological diagnosis.
There was no problem – in 2019, the presidents of Czech Civic Association against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mudr. Kos and Ing. Zimová signed the contract which enabled the members of the association to buy Respilon products with 50% discount. Respilon has signed similar contracts with other patient organizations, e.g., with the Center of Cystic Fibrosis; Respilon supplied the Department of Children Oncology in the Motol Hospital as well as facilities for the elderly with face masks.
Ing. Zimová was kind and helpful on every occasion. Also during this crisis she has sent a batch of ReSpimasks to the association members for free.
Last year, I handed over face masks as well as relatively expensive, re-usable and washable R-Shields for trying to my colleagues, to patients and doctor from the association committee and to patients in Priessnitz Spa, where I underwent treatment. All products were sent for free from Ing. Zimová.
A member of the Respilon team even gave an educational lecture for patients with respiratory difficulties in the spa.
Among patients there was and is great interest in these face masks and similar equipment because we are far more sensitive, and we feel safer with respiratory protection. I gave a few ReSpimask face masks to a young doctor at the Provincial Hospital where they initially had problems with protective equipment, she was very thankful and praised the very comfortable feeling of ReSpimask, which I can confirm myself – they are soft, well fitting, do not slip and even I breathe comfortably when wearing it despite my problems with breathing.
I myself have been using nose and mouth protection for several years to protect myself from infection, and especially mold, smog, dust, etc., and if I have health problems myself, I also protect others by using it – the slogan used in the coronavirus era expresses this exactly.
In the world, especially in China, Japan, Malaysia, where the environment is polluted, this method of protection is common. After all, the Respilon products were mostly heading there.
We considered the systematic possibility of lectures with Respilon's specialists in the spa and at various patient meetings. It is important that information about the possibilities and a safer life with lung diseases reaches the patients but also those who care for them.
Ing. Vachová