Daily Management Review

Aerospace Consortium To Build Ten Thousand Ventilator In Britain


03/30/2020


British government continues to ramp up its ventilator acquisition to meet its projected requirements.



Britain has placed an order for over ten thousand ventilators to a consortium made of expert “aerospace, engineering and Formula One racing teams” that responded to the urgent plea of the government and is set to manufacture this week. The said group includes “Airbus, BAE Systems, Ford”, Meggitt, Rolls-Royce, and seven Formula One teams”.
 
The group members have joined hands for increase the production of volume of “existing ventilator made by Smiths Group” in a crisis hour when Covid-19 critical victims require life support. In a statement, Dick Elsy who heads the consortium said:
“This consortium brings together some of the most innovative companies in the world. I am confident this consortium has the skills and tools to make a difference and save lives.”
 
The U.K initially had around five thousand ventilators with the National Health Service and since then the country has been “scrambling” for additional equipment supplies to same patients. As per Reuter report:
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is now in isolation in Downing Street after testing positive for coronavirus, made an emergency appeal earlier this month for manufacturers to start making specialist health equipment including ventilators”.
 
The government’s requirement is of thirty thousand ventilators while it has only eight thousand and another eight thousand will be added in the coming week after receiving orders from “international manufacturers”.
 
However, the consortium didn’t specify as to when the manufacturing will be completed. And Reuters added:
“Smiths Group said the team would ramp up production of its Smiths Medical paraPAC plus, a lightweight and portable ventilator that helps take the strain from the lungs. The device is fully certified and used by medical professionals within Britain and overseas”.
 
In the words of the company’s C.E.O, Andrew Reynolds Smith:
“It is inspiring to work with the very best UK Technology and Engineering companies with a spirit of grit and determination to deliver these life saving devices to our incredible health service”.
 
 
References:
reuters.com