Demand for ventilators well above capability of entire industry, says Dräger

As the number of coronavirus cases cross the one million mark, global ventilator manufacturers are on course to double and even quadruple production. Dräger, one of the world’s leading ventilator manufacturers says it has doubled its production and may quadruple it during peak times this year.

According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, approximately 960,000 patients in US would need ventilator support, but the country has only 200,000 such machines.

India too is facing a huge shortage of ventilators, and top automobile companies and Indian embassies have been roped in by the government to source ventilators, personal protection equipment and masks to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

German ventilator manufacturer Dräger says that it witnessed an increase in demand from China and Asian countries in January and now the company is trying to address a global surge in requirement for ventilators.

A Dräger spokesperson told CNBC-TV18, “Despite all efforts, the demand for ventilators and protective masks is well above the capabilities of the entire industry”. The spokesperson confirmed that Dräger was receiving demands directly from health authorities and foreign governments.

Officials at the company told CNBC-TV18, that the company increased production within four weeks to supply a record number of intensive care ventilators to China in February. The company is looking to scale up hiring at its Lübeck production plant to add 500 new employees.

“We are seeing a worldwide increase in demand for ventilators as well as an increased demand for ventilation accessories. These include breathing hoses, filters, ventilation masks and other accessories for oxygen therapy. Here, too, the focus is on the use of disposable products”, the spokesperson said.

The Dräger spokesperson explained that the company imports parts from a network of approved suppliers across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

In India, top automobile companies are partnering with existing ventilator manufacturers to increase production. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Roderico Ofrin, WHO’s Regional Emergencies Director, welcomed the private sector’s initiative to manufacture ventilators but said that such companies must follow prescribed guidelines.

A Dräger official explained that use of intensive care ventilators should be reserved for trained medical personnel with sound knowledge of ventilation.

Dräger spokesperson: We are seeing a significant increase in global demand, especially for ventilators, and increased demand for ventilation accessories and light respiratory protection. The increase in demand began at the beginning of the year in China and Asia and is now continuing in many other countries, in parallel with rising infection rates. While usually hospitals are our customers, at present it is increasingly health authorities or government agencies that ask for our products.

Despite all efforts, the demand for ventilators and protective masks is well above the capabilities of the entire industry.

We are seeing a worldwide increase in demand for ventilators as well as an increased demand for ventilation accessories. These include breathing hoses, filters, ventilation masks and other accessories for oxygen therapy. Here, too, the focus is on the use of disposable products.

Not to the full extent. We doubled our production volume in February and will quadruple it at peak times during the rest of the year. In Lübeck alone, we plan to hire up to 500 new employees.

In recent years, we have invested 70 million euros in a state-of-the-art factory in Lübeck and we have agreed flexible working hours and innovative work organisation models with the works council and trade unions. This allows us to respond relatively well to the change in demand.

At the beginning of the year, we increased our production within just four weeks and produced a record quantity of intensive care ventilators for China in February.

We will more than double our production of ventilators this year, and at peak times, the increase will be even greater during the rest of the year, reaching four times the usual volumes.

We do everything in our power to provide 'Technology for Life' worldwide where it is most needed. The delivery of the Federal Government's order extends over the whole year. At the same time, however, we will still be delivering more devices abroad than to Germany.

Dräger produces the ventilators in Germany at its Lübeck production site.

We obtain the various parts we need for production from our worldwide network of suppliers, many from Europe, but also from America, Asia and Australia to New Zealand. All suppliers are part of the regulated system and are certified by the approval authorities of all purchasing countries.

The parts come from all over the world.

The use of intensive care ventilators is reserved for qualified and trained medical personnel. In order to understand the operation of an intensive care ventilator, sound medical knowledge of ventilation (e.g. about lung mechanics, ventilation modes, clinical pictures, etc.) is required.

The operation of the device itself can then be learned by qualified target groups within a few hours' instruction; however, as already mentioned, medical expertise in ventilation is important.