In a factory in Solna just outside of the Swedish capital, Getinge’s Flow Family anesthesia machines are being designed and manufactured. The people in the assembly line are truly passionate about what they do, being one part of a long chain that eventually leads to saving lives.
When entering Getinge’s factory in Solna you get the feeling that it is a vibrant place with lots of activities going on. But yet you see the laser focus among the people who enter this building every day to build lifesaving anesthesia machines and mechanical ventilators.
“Since a while back I mainly work on the newest anesthesia machine, Flow-c. But in this factory we don’t limit ourselves, we help each other at the different assembly lines and step in where it is most needed,” says Anne Scharfenberg who has been in this factory since 2017.
Anesthesia is essentially a medically induced comatose state, different from sleeping. It has been widely used since 1842, when Crawford Long administered diethyl ether to a patient and performed the first painless operation.
“All types of patients can be anesthetized in a safe way by our machines, even tiny babies, which is amazing. What we do here makes a true difference and that’s something you can feel in the atmosphere, it is a very joyful workplace.”
Kristian Linde agrees with her.
“It is our everyday work to assembly these machines, but when you stop for a moment to think about how they help people survive during surgeries you get really proud of being a part of it all. We also get constant feedback that our customers are happy with the products which is great.”
He has been with Getinge for 15 years and has tried out most of the different assembly lines which adds variety in his work.
“You need to be focused putting these machines together but we have a great lean process with clear instructions which makes it fairly easy. And you can really see that the Flow products are a family since we build them all on the same core technology. We also document everything along the way, to enable traceability of every single part of the machine.”
And there are thousands of components in one single anesthesia machine, which is something Nelson Vergara knows all about, as he started in the factory for 2,5 years ago but recently moved a few floors down to work in the warehouse.
“Here, we constantly receive orders from the factory and gather all components needed. There are a lot to keep track on but it’s easy with our quality systems. When you know about all the parts in the warehouse it’s really cool to see the actual machine ready before it’s shipped off to customers.”
Being new in the warehouse, Nelson is still learning a lot but feel there is good collaboration between everyone in the entire factory.
“It’s easy to have a good time at work. We also have a diverse work force with people originating from many different countries, which I believe enriches us as a team. I like it that we often meet and talk about how the machines are being used and sometimes the word reaches us about patients who were saved thanks to Getinge solutions from Solna. It’s a huge feeling being part of that.”
Read more about Getinge's Flow Family anesthesia machines
The Flow Family anesthesia systems may be pending regulatory approvals to be marketed in your country. And please note that not all products listed in this article are available in all countries. For details, contact your Getinge representative.