Potential of ventilators’ manufacturing

Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers have sent a letter to Engineering Division stating therein about the availability of technology and know how for locally manufacturing ventilators and other medical equipment. It merits mention that Chairman NDMA told the other day about the import of 17.000n ventilators and protective equipment for doctors and medical staff from China.

The imported equipment takes and long time in the arrival of shipmen, delivery and distribution among hospitals. Moreover, after sale service and maintenance creates problems. Training of technicians to operate the imported equipment is another problem to be addressed. There are instances that due to lack of technical expertise medical equipment could not be used for several years in hospitals and are then auctioned as unserviceable items on throwaway prices. Local manufacturing will also encourage induction of foreign technologies and their indegenisation.

Facilitation of local production of medical equipment will not only ensure early delivery but it will also help create a big reservoir of technicians for its operation, after sale service and maintenance. Locally manufactured ventilators and protective equipment for doctors and medical staff will be inexpensive and their parts and accessories will be available in abundance. Their repairs and replacement will be not time consuming like the imported substitutes.

Like other industries, the industry of surgical goods and medical equipment could not flourish due to regressive taxation regime, high prices of energy inputs and above all, manipulative practices of import mafia. The rates charged for turnover tax, sales tax and withholding tax are irrational. Hopefully, lesson shall be learnt from the prevailing shortages of much needed medical equipment, its local manufacturing will be encouraged by providing monetary and fiscal incentives.