Pakistan on Monday launched indigenously manufactured ventilators amid the country’s battle against the raging coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Imran Khan handed over the first tranche of ventilators called “safe vent” to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — a state-run agency that coordinates between different relief organizations — at a ceremony in the northwestern Haripur city, said Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry.
Imran Khan hails landmark achievement as Pakistan launches ventilators
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday unveiled the country’s first locally developed ventilator to help frontline medical professionals treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI visited National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) at Haripur today to inaugurate the production facility of first ever indigenously developed ventilators #MadeinPakistan. pic.twitter.com/XOlCgM3o2T
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 6, 2020
Khan inaugurated the production facility of the first-ever indigenously developed ventilators in Pakistan at Haripur. Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Energy Omar Ayub, PM’s Focal Person for COVID-19 Dr Faisal Sultan, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. Gen Muhammad Afzal and other senior officials also attended the launch ceremony.
Read more: 48 doctors resign in Punjab amid Coronavirus pandemic
The ventilators called “Safe Vent SP100” have been designed by National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) — Pakistan’s high tech industry engaged in manufacturing of telecommunication equipment.
NRTC has produced 15 units of Safe Vent SP 100 and has a production capacity to manufacture 250–300 units per month. “Safe Vent SP 100 is FDA/CE approved economical and reliable ventilator” according to the official statement.
“It’s a landmark achievement for Pakistan,” the premier said, congratulating the team behind the project, the engineers and scientists at NRTC and the Ministry of Science & Technology. The country has “abundant talent to take us to self-reliance in new technological innovation,” Khan said, adding that the government will “strongly support any initiative to harness the potential of our youth.”
Pakistan launches ventilators: announced by Fawad Chaudhary
“A landmark achieved … first badge of Made in Pakistan ventilators safevent handed over to NDMA by Prime Minister Imran Khan,” Chaudhry said on Twitter, asserting the country has joined a “handful” of countries producing the “complicated medical machinery”.
Three more designs of the lifesaving machines are also in the final phase of development, he told parliament last week.
Read more: NDMA to get ‘Made in Pakistan’ ventilators for COVID-19 patients: Fawad Ch
Earlier, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that the first batch of ventilators manufactured in Pakistan will be delivered to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Federal Minister for Science & Technology @fawadchaudhry announced the launch of the first #MadeInPakistan ventilators. pic.twitter.com/vhYlrRpHs9
— Ministry of Science & Technology (@MinistryofST) June 28, 2020
In a video statement, he said that Pakistan has joined the ranks of those few countries which are producing their own ventilators.
According to the minister, the ventilator is a “complicated machine and not a lot of countries in the world have the capacity to make this”.
PM and DG WHO tele-conference
In a phone conversation with Tedros Adhanom, director general of the World Health Organization, on Monday, Pakistan’s premier urged the WHO to develop a global travel guideline to be followed by all countries.
Khan also asked the world health body to ensure that low income countries are not discriminated against in global travel.
“The PM Imran Khan had a call with DG of WHO @DrTedros. PM asked WHO to develop travel guidelines to be adopted by all countries to ensure that low income countries are not discriminated against in global travel,” Asad Umar, minister for planning, development & special initiatives, said in a Twitter post.
Read more: Coronavirus impact on Pakistan’s hospitals increasingly negative
The WHO head, Umar said, recognized the positive trend in disease curtailment in Pakistan.
With more than 3,300 new cases recorded over the past 24 hours, the country’s coronavirus tally has neared 232,000, including almost 131,700 people having recovered.
Another 50 people died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll beyond 4,700, according the Health Ministry data.
Currently, Islamabad is following a strategy of “smart lockdown” in scores of hotspots in some 20 big cities in an attempt to mitigate the virus outbreak.
According to the official statistics, Pakistan has so far run more than 1.42 million tests across the country.
GVS News Desk with additional input by Anadolu and other sources
Can Pakistan beat the coronavirus? Share your views with us in the comments bar below.