DRAP likely to get ‘locally manufactured’ ventilators soon: minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that Pakistan’s locally manufactured ventilators are likely to be handed over to Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), ARY News reported on Sunday.

Fawad Chaudhry, while talking to ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’ hosted by Maria Memon, revealed that the country has successfully manufactured ventilators, a much needed medical equipment for the hospitals amid the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

He said, “The federal government took major steps for overcoming the shortage of ventilators and testing kits [for screening and detection of coronavirus] three weeks ago. At this time, a corona testing kit is available at the cost of Rs7,000 to 8,000. Moreover, a detection test will not be fruitful until it is properly conducted by the medics.”

“I have suggested the federal government for getting capable of local manufacturing of ventilators. Insha-Allah, the ventilators manufactured this week will be handed over to DRAP [Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan],” the minister claimed.

Read: PDMA moves to procure 100 ventilators, over 15,000 protective kits

The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan directed all authorities to rapid act upon the developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic across the country. He added that testing kits and ventilators will soon reach to the markets that were previously manufactured only by China and other countries.

Chaudhry further said that the steps related to acquiring testing kits and ventilators were taken prior to the latest situation.

While commenting over the provision of relief to the nationals, Fawad Chaudhry said he has prepared a list of deserving families present in his constituency in order to help them.

Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry had said in a Twitter message that two initiatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology were in final stages of approval including corona testing kits, ventilators that will immensely bring down the costs of war against COVID-19 pandemic.

2 initiatives of @MinistryofST are in final stages of approval 1)Corona Testing Kits (NUST) 2) Ventilators (PEC) this ll immensely bring down costs of –#WarAgainstCorona ,We have enhanced capacity of PCSIR production of hand sanitizers and health depts and banks are facilitated

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 29, 2020