Turkey: Prototype of 1st locally made ventilator ready

ISTANBUL

A demo prototype of Turkey's first locally manufactured ventilator is ready, an official of the country’s leading drone manufacturer Baykar announced late Monday.

The ventilator -- designed by Turkish technology firm BIOSYS -- was produced with the backing of Baykar, major appliances firm Arcelik, and defense giant Aselsan, said Selcuk Bayraktar, the chief technology officer of Baykar, in a tweet.

Baykar ordered 250 ventilators from BIOSYS to support the company's mass production drive and Turkey's public health care system.

Several defense and aviation firms, such as Aselsan, Havelsan, and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), have also joined the campaign.

The ventilators will be donated to the Turkish Health Ministry for use at hospitals catering to COVID-19 patients across the country.

The locally-made breathing assistance machines could prove vital in the battle to save lives in Turkey, where the COVID-19 death toll reached 168 and cases surged to 10,827 on Monday.

The ventilators, if proven reliable and effective, could also be a ray of hope for several countries that are facing an acute shortage in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the virus 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 786,200, while the death toll is above 37,800, and more than 166,000 people have recovered so far.