Local ventilators may be the answer

In times such as this, every single country is struggling to ensure that its citizens are provided for and taken care of, with the limited number of resources available, be it in terms of food security or health services. And Bangladesh is no different.

As such, one of the most encouraging pieces of news to come out of this coronavirus pandemic is the emergence of many individuals and organizations across the country who have come forward in manufacturing prototypes of ventilators, a most necessary equipment for Covid-19 treatment.

With international manufacturers struggling to meet global demands, Bangladesh would do well to become as self-reliant as possible in such a time of crisis, and this particular step would go a long way towards ensuring that demands are met when it comes to the treatment of citizens afflicted with the coronavirus.

However, it must be remembered that these are only prototypes and have yet to be proven effective as replacement for imported ventilators. Furthermore, faulty or ineffectual ventilators could, in fact, lead to more harm and good, causing pneumonia and allowing bacteria to pass through into the lungs.

What the authorities need to do now is speed up this process as much as possible, while also ensuring that the right medical authorities are consulted so that these locally manufactured ventilators get the approval necessary for treatment nationwide and, more importantly, that they are effective in their purpose.

The advantages of having several local manufacturers providing ventilators to our hospitals, so that there is no shortage in the future, cannot be stressed enough.