40,000 ventilators for 1.3bn people

NEWDELHI: India has an estimated 40,000 working ventilators, a number experts said will be inadequate in case there is a surge in Covid-19 infections that, in approximately 5% of the cases, sends patients to intensive care units (ICU) with acute breathing problems.

The number of patients in India reported another sharp rise on Saturday, with 47 fresh infections taking the tally up to 283 and raising the possibility of the outbreak having entered a new phase in which it could be spreading in communities silently.

A similar trajectory has led to a surge in patients in some of the worst-hit countries, such as Italy and Iran, where health facilities have been overwhelmed with high volume of patients who need intensive care.

The coronavirus attacks people’s lungs, in some cases compromising their ability to breathe as they develop pneumonia. Ventilators, which deliver air to the lungs through a tube placed in the windpipe, are crucial to keep these patients alive.

According to Dr Dhruva Chaudhry, the president of Indian

The number of ventilators India has, which experts say will be woefully inadequate in case of a surge in Covid-19 infections

of all Covid-19 patients get admitted to ICUS with acute breathing problems and would need ventilators for life support, data shows

Average cost of a ventilator

Banned exports of ventilators

Cancelled elective surgeries to keep ICU beds on standby

Cleared proposal to ramp up production of ventilators in country