IBM and Coronavirus stories

How IBM technicians helped hospitals in China quickly ramp up diagnostic capabilities

In January, as the full dimension of the COVID-19 outbreak in China started to become clear, hospitals there realized they had to dramatically and quickly increase their computed tomography (CT) testing capabilities to assess the seriousness of the epidemic.

Hundreds of hospitals in China rely on devices from one medical imaging company to print patient diagnoses. And that company relies on IBM’s Technical Service Support field workers to help install its machines and keep them running 24/7, said Jian Tang, Manager of Technical Support Services MVS Delivery at IBM in China.

There was no time to lose. More than 200 hospitals needed to quickly ramp up diagnostic capabilities, as COVID-19 cases were growing rapidly in Wuhan and beginning to take hold around the country.

In meeting the needs of China’s hospitals, IBMers needed to be careful about risking exposure to the virus, but they also knew their work could be potentially life-saving for people afflicted with the disease. In some cases, with public transit unavailable, IBMers used their own cars to ferry equipment from warehouses to hospitals.

They went to work even as protective masks, goggles and gowns became scarce—despite IBM scouring every possible channel to secure the necessary equipment. “Suddenly all the protective equipment disappeared from the market,” Tang wrote. At that point, IBM only had a supply of N95 masks. Within a few days, the medical imaging company provided additional protective equipment—goggles and gowns.

IBM’s response during this urgent stage of the crisis brought teams from both companies closer together, said Tang. IBMers visited more than 50 hospitals during this period, and provided remote support for almost 200.

A representative from each company is necessary for a CT printer installation, and because of the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, those workers were sometimes subject to 14-day quarantines after an installation. To keep installations moving forward and to ensure worker safety, teams from both companies pooled resources to make sure neither company would be left with too few available workers.

“All the teams worked as one team to serve our clients,” Tang said.

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