Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary Thursday said that the government was working with local industry to increase domestic production of personal protection equipment (PPE) to contain COVID-19 pandemic. While talking to a private news channel, Science minister explained that the government is also in an advanced stage to make local ventilators in Pakistan within next 10 to 15 days . The disposable PPE gear to be worn by doctors, have also been certified by the Ministry of Health after meeting the appropriate and necessary parameters and shall also be cheaper in price compared to the imported ones, he added.
Pakistani PPE manufacturers are ramping up production to expand supply to other countries as demands from abroad surge amid COVID-19, he added. The country has expanded its production capacity in the battle against coronavirus, he mentioned. Pakistani ventilator manufacturers now are working round the clock to provide support to other countries in urgent need of ventilators while ensuring domestic supply, he adds. After successfully start of local ventilator manufacturing Science ministry would also trying to improve the availability of N-95 masks which is not available, Fawad said.
Earlier, there was no domestic manufacturing of PPE in the country and almost all of them were imported, he highlighted. The cost of indigenously manufactured ventilators would be three times less than the imported ones, he said, adding, initially government is looking to manufacture 500 ventilators on priority to deal with the COVID-19 emergency.
