Locally-developed ventilators handed over to NDMA: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has announced that the first batch of domestically-developed ventilators handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to treat the critically-ill COVID-19 patients.

On a social media website Twitter, Minister for Science and Technology said the first batch of locally made ventilators have been handed over to NDMA by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“A landmark achieved, the first batch of made in Pakistan Ventilators handed over to NDMA,” he added.

A landmark acheived ….. first badge of #MadeInPakistan Ventilators #SafeVent handedover to NDMA by @ImranKhanPTI PM of Pakistan…..

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 6, 2020

Earlier, Fawad had said 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.

However, today’s announcement comes days after the US government donated 100 ventilators to support Pakistan in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, after the arrival of USAID donation, about 1,600 ventilators are available at government hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

Till now ventilators were being imported from China, the United States and a few other countries. The development comes as COVID-19 tally in Pakistan stands at 231,818 cases, with 131,649 recoveries and 4,762 deaths so far.