COVID-19: With Low Mortality Rate, India To Export Domestically Manufactured Ventilators

India recorded 853 deaths today while the mortality rate stands at 2.13%.

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New Delhi: With mortality rate low as 2.15% in the country, India has decided to export indigenous ventilators, the government said on Saturday. “The Group of Ministers (GOM) on Covid-19 has considered and agreed to the proposal of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare allowing the export of made-in-India ventilators. This decision has been communicated to the Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for further needed action to facilitate the export of indigenously manufactured ventilators,” the Union health ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Also read| India Crosses 17 Lakh Mark Of Covid-19 Cases In Just 2 Days, Records 853 Deaths In Last 24 Hrs "As on 31st July 2020, only 0.22% of the active cases were on ventilators across the country. Additionally, there has been substantial growth in the domestic manufacturing capacity of ventilators. Compared to January 2020, there are presently more than 20 domestic manufacturers for ventilators," said the statement. According to officials in the ministry aware of the matter, India now has the capacity to manufacture ventilators indigenously, allowing it to export the machines. “We now have at least a couple of dozen manufactures of ventilators in the country as opposed to a few some six months ago. The data before us suggests Covid-19 patients in India largely need oxygen therapy and not mechanical ventilation as much, and our case fatality rate is also very low, which is why in terms of demand and supply we are pretty comfortably placed", according to an official. Additionally, there has been substantial growth in the domestic manufacturing capacity of ventilators. Compared to January 2020, there are presently more than 20 domestic manufacturers for ventilators, the government said. The export prohibition or restriction on ventilators was imposed in March 2020 to ensure domestic availability to effectively fight COVID-19.