Ford, GE to produce 50,000 medical ventilators

ISTANBUL

The U.S. automaker Ford and General Electric (GE) will produce 50,000 medical ventilators within 100 days, which are critical in fighting coronavirus pandemic.

"Ford will provide its manufacturing capabilities to quickly scale production, and GE Healthcare will provide its clinical expertise, and license the current ventilator design," Ford said late Monday.

After the production of 50,000 devices, companies will be able to produce 30,000 medical ventilators monthly as needed.

"Ford expects to produce 1,500 by the end of April, 12,000 by the end of May, and 50,000 by July 4 -- helping the U.S. government meet its goal of producing 100,000 ventilators in 100 days," it said.

With severe shortness of breath, a hallmark of the novel coronavirus, the pandemic has raised the need for medical ventilators, resulting in fresh impetus across the globe to research and manufacture the devices.

Turkey also focused on manufacturing medical ventilators locally.

Ford will start the production by the week of April 20 in its Rawsonville Components Plant in Michigan.

The virus infected over 164,600 people in the U.S. so far and claimed 3,170 lives.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the virus, also known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 178 countries and regions, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The number of confirmed cases worldwide has surpassed 787,000, while the death toll is above 37,800, and more than 166,200 people have recovered so far.