Coronavirus: Chinese ventilator makers working ‘around the clock’ amid global shortage
- Hospitals worldwide need ventilators to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients, and they’re turning to China to supply them
- But getting hold of the key components from Europe and the US is a challenge, and manufacturers are stretched to capacity
In Britain, guidelines will help doctors make life-or-death decisions about patients if they run out of intensive care beds or ventilators. Vacuum cleaner maker Dyson is said to have received an order from the government for 10,000 ventilators as it grapples with the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk – who plans to use his Tesla car factory to make ventilators – tweeted that he bought 1,225 of the life-saving machines from China and had them shipped to the US.
From the United States to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, hospitals are facing acute shortages of the ventilators they need to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients when they develop breathing difficulties.
And governments and hospitals are turning to China, the world’s factory, for the mechanical breathing aids. But while Chinese ventilator makers say they have ramped up production, there are fears that the global shortage is unlikely to be resolved fast enough.
Analysts say a big challenge is the disruption of global supply chains amid the pandemic. Chinese ventilator makers depend on key components they can only get from Europe and the US, where many places have been locked down, and international flights are limited.