Fawad, Shibli differ over utility of local ventilators

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Tuesday said Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz has perhaps not received presentation about utility of home-made ventilators.

On Monday, newly-appointed Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz said locally produced ventilators are not useful and the country also lacked other resources including oxygen to deal with any emergency situation amid surging coronavirus cases.

Fawad as science and technology minister had claimed that Pakistan had joined the ranks of those a few countries which are producing their own ventilators and added that a ventilator is a "complicated machine and not a lot of countries in the world have the capacity to make it".

Meanwhile, Shibli Faraz chaired a meeting regarding the efforts being made to counter the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting an update on Pakistan Manufactured Ventilators System (PMVS) and innovative products developed with facilitation and coordination of MoST/PEC was presented to the minister.

Federal Minister emphasized that the Pakistan Manufactured Medical Devices including ventilators should conform to international standards and quality. He appreciated the efforts of PEC and all stakeholders. He reiterated that MoST will make all out efforts for the timely registration of ventilators with DRAP so that these ventilators are timely available for induction in the health care system and export.