Coronavirus update: Noida startup to supply 5,000 ventilators by April 15

The government had asked a Noida-based med-tech startup AgVa Healthcare to manufacture 5,000 ventilators by April 15 to help hospitals handle the sudden increase of patients as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) wreaks havoc across the nation.

AgVa Healthcare founder Diwakar Vaish speaking to Business Today said, "We have been supplying ventilators to AIIMS, Safdarjung and our entire workforce is working around the clock to supply as many ventilators as we can."

"We're facing difficulties in terms of availability of raw material. Mostly coming from China. Import and export have taken a hit. That's why it's taking time. But as asked by the government, we'll be able to supply 5,000 by April 15," Vaish added.

Vaish had also consulted with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on how these ventilators can be deployed. MoHFW has suggested a few changes to suit the needs of coronavirus patients.

The company, which has built the most economical ventilator, is all set to ramp up production to manufacture 12,000 units every month, from its current capacity of 150, reports Money Today. Currently, there are around 600 such ventilators deployed across India and AgVa Healthcare is aiming to deploy around 20,000 of them as soon as possible. AgVa ventilator's base model costs around Rs 1.5 lakh.

Vaish had developed AgVa ventilator in association with AIIMS, New Delhi, and is waiting for a United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approval but, is adhering to the ISO 13485 standards for medical equipment.

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