The first batch of domestically-produced ventilators was handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) primarily to treat the critically-ill coronavirus patients, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry announced on Monday.
A landmark acheived ….. first badge of #MadeInPakistan Ventilators #SafeVent handedover to NDMA by @ImranKhanPTI PM of Pakistan…..
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 6, 2020
The announcement comes days after the US government donated 100 ventilators to support Pakistan in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fawad had made the announcement to handover locally designed ventilators to the authority in June, saying that the country has joined the ranks of few countries producing their own ventilators.
Multiple statements issued by the federal and provincial governments suggest that Pakistan is racing against time to arrange for 1,500 more ventilators as part of a contingency plan.
Currently, after the arrival of USAID donation, about 1,600 ventilators are available at government hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
We need to be clear if these are locally produced OR locally assembled ventilators. I am sure it is the later. While it may be the first step in setting up a manufacturing base locally, we should be aware that export based on assembling imported raw material is not a viable option. Exports of medical nature to USA, as targeted by Fawad Chaudhry, will required a 180 degree shift in our R&D and Education approach, which given a low focus in our budget on higher education, does not seems to be the case for now.