Ventilator makers ramp up affordable development

Ventilator manufacturers have had to transform schedules in order to meet the increasing demand. Photo: Le Toan

Paul Verhulst, managing director of Medtronic Indochina told VIR that through Vietnam’s current difficulties, elective procedures have been put on hold while ventilator demand has increased significantly. “Medtronic recognises the acute need for ventilators as life-saving devices in the management of COVID-19 infections and has been working since early 2020 to meet this increased global demand,” Verhulst explained. “Ventilator manufacturing is a complex process that relies on a skilled workforce, a global supply chain, and a rigorous regulatory regime to ensure patient safety,” he added.

In its ventilator manufacturing facility in Ireland, Medtronic has increased the number of employees dedicated to manufacturing – including transferring staff from other Medtronic sites to support ramp up activities. Medtronic has also introduced new shift patterns to bring the plant to 24/7 operation.

In an open-licence initiative, Medtronic has published design specifications for its PB560 ventilator publicly, providing manufacturers around the world the ability to rapidly accelerate production. The design specifications have thus far been downloaded over 225,000 times.

“We are committed to getting more ventilators into the market and to the right locations worldwide, to help the doctors and patients battling COVID-19, including here in Vietnam,” said Verhulst.

Meanwhile, Tran Ngoc Phuc, the Vietnamese founder of medical equipment maker Metran Co., has teamed up with Vietnamese partners to transfer technology to produce ventilators here. Metran Vietnam Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Metran, is operating a factory in Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park II in the southern province of Binh Duong to make artificial ventilators.

According to Phuc, the company has developed a slimmed-down ventilator that is more affordable than conventional models. He hoped that producing simple and low-cost devices in large quantities will help save countless lives.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, Van Thinh Phat Holding Group and Van Lang University have signed a contract with Metran to provide finance for manufacturing 2,000 ventilators. As a result, Metran ventilators have been mass-produced to save the lives of many patients.

Meanwhile, Vingroup has jumped on the bandwagon by producing the Vsmart VFS-510 invasive ventilator. Specifically, Vingroup has flexibly altered its business and production strategies to prioritise ventilator manufacturing from March 2020, leveraging inherent industrial and technological strengths as well as advanced production lines from its subsidiaries and research institutes.

Vsmart ventilators have been put into mass production and have been approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health as meeting all criteria for quality, safety, and operability.

Nguyen Tu Quang, CEO of local technology corporation BKAV, also announced that the company has successfully produced high-flow nasal oxygen therapy devices for COVID-19 treatment. It took BKAV nearly a year to research and develop both the simple and advanced versions of the devices. “More people have contacted the Delta variant in Vietnam. Thus, we have taken quick action to ensure the supply of ventilators,” he said.

Hua Phu Doan, vice president and secretary-general of the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Equipment Association told VIR, “Ho Chi Minh City has developed more field hospitals amidst the spike in coronavirus patients. Each hospital has about 500 beds equipped with ventilators. As of present, companies have supplied ventilators in a timely manner to support the city and neighbouring provinces like Binh Duong and Dong Nai in developing field hospitals.”

Doan added that the majority of ventilators are imported. “We hope that custom procedures will be relaxed to facilitate the import of ventilators into Vietnam. This will help treat critically ill patients and help them recover faster,” he added.

Ventilators are vital medical equipment in COVID-19 treatment so a ventilator coordination group was established on August 2 to facilitate treatment. The group will review and keep track of the number and types of ventilators available at hospitals nationwide as well as the hospitals’ ventilator demands. It is also engaged in distribution of the ventilators and nasal oxygen devices for COVID-19 patients as well as training medical staff on taking care of the machines.

Likewise, Medtronic has been hosting virtual webinar series led by medical experts on mechanical ventilators. The series has attracted nearly 10,000 frontline doctors in Vietnam to participate, learn, and share their experiences and best practices. Medtronic has also hosted dozens of virtual physician forums and medical education programmes to help physicians of various specialities navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

“It is important to recognise that Vietnam will continue to grow and, in fact, it is one of the fastest-growing markets for Medtronic in Asia-Pacific. We are committed to serving our partners and patients here,” Verhulst said.