COVID-19 has created havoc worldwide with more than 3 lakh cases and almost 13 thousand fatalities. COVID-19 is caused by the novel coronavirus and it targets the lungs leading to complications like pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In severe cases, the patient will require a ventilator to be able to deliver enough oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Failure to provide ventilators will lead to the death of a patient. Currently, due to the increased demand, the world is facing a huge shortage of ventilators. In Italy, many deaths are reported due to the same.
Call For Help
To tackle the situation the USA, the UK and Australian governments are urging manufacturers, auto-majors to help them overcome the shortage of ventilators by manufacturing them. On Sunday, USA President appealed Ford, General Motors and Tesla by name in his tweet asking them to help ventilator manufacturing.
Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are? @RepMarkMeadows@GOPLeader@senatemajldr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2020
UK’s Secretary of State for Health & Social Care Matt Hancock also tweeted asking support from the manufacturing industry in their National Effort for #coronavirus ventilator production.
Calling all manufacturers who can support our National Effort for #coronavirus ventilator production – to help, contact Government Business Support team: 0300 456 3565 / ventilator.support@beis.gov.uk
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) March 16, 2020
Response by the industry
For supporting this JCB (Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd) and Tata-owned British company JLR has responded positively. JCB tweeted a statement by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford wherein they said, “We have been approached by the Prime Minister to see if we can help with the production of ventilators. We have research and engineering teams actively looking at the request at the moment.” They also added that “It’s unclear as yet if we can assist, but as a British company, we will do whatever we can to help during the unprecedented times our country is facing.”
Following reports in today’s media, JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said:
“We have been approached by the Prime Minister to see if we can help with the production of ventilators. We have research and engineering teams actively looking at the request at the moment.” pic.twitter.com/fDs8ZcWSIT
— JCB (@JCBmachines) March 15, 2020
Elon Musk also tweeted about his ongoing efforts to help the ventilator supply in the USA.
Just had a long engineering discussion with Medtronic about state-of-the-art ventilators. Very impressive team!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2020
General Motors also declared that they are working with Ventec Life Systems, a medical device company, to increase the production of its respiratory care systems, rather than making ventilators on its own. GM will provide its logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise to Ventec.
We are working with Ventec Life Systems to rapidly scale production of important respiratory products to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more here: https://t.co/wcvbftKw8C
— General Motors (@GM) March 21, 2020
What is India Doing?
In India, there are more than 340 cases with 6 deaths reported till now. There are reports in many national dailies claiming a shortage of ventilators and beds in hospitals across India. In response to many queries asking Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group tweeted that they will immediately begin work on how their manufacturing facilities can make ventilators. He further said that at Mahindra Holidays, they stand ready to offer our resorts as temporary care facilities.
—To help in the response to this unprecedented threat, we at the Mahindra Group will immediately begin work on how our manufacturing facilities can make ventilators.
—At Mahindra Holidays, we stand ready to offer our resorts as temporary care facilities. (3/5)— anandmahindra (@anandmahindra) March 22, 2020
Talking about the situation due to COVID-19 Chairman, Mahindra proposed lockdown for the next few weeks, expressing concerns over reports that India is likely to have already reached stage-3 of coronavirus transmission. Later in the twitter thread, he said that the group's project team stands ready to assist the government and the Army in erecting temporary care facilities and Mahindra Foundation will create a fund to assist the hardest hit in the value chain (small businesses and employees). He promised his 100% salary for the fund and also asked other businesses to keep money aside for the hardest-hit people.
