Pakistan makes first-ever ICU Ventilator

Stating on Wednesday, the PAEC claimed that the development of ICU ventilator owes to the engineers and scientists at the commission who ensured all the quality standards and regulatory requirements for the project.

However, assistance from the doctors of PAEC’s hospital was also provided, added the statement.

"Besides passing through all internal reviews and testing, the 'i-Live' ventilator also successfully passed the independent reviews and testing conducted throughout the development lifecycle by the evaluation team from Pakistan Innovation and Technology Centre and the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC)," PAEC said.

The statement further added that the clinical trials of the “first indigenous intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator” are also being conducted in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore where the biomedical engineers, doctors and medical researchers are supervising the working of the newly designed ventilator.

"The ventilator successfully passed all stages of engineering evaluation and medical validation."

According to PAEC spokesperson, Shahid Riaz Khan, the ventilator has been approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and "i-Live" would now be manufactured and supplied by hospitals countrywide.

"This is a giant leap towards self-reliance in designing and manufacturing of life-saving equipment," the PAEC spokesperson added.

Earlier, the minister of Science and Technology, Senator Shibli Faraz said that the ministry will take steps to regulate the ventilators by expediting their registration with DRAP to ensure their timely availability and induction in the health care system.

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry took Twitter to congratulate PAEC for developing the "#MadeInPakistan" ventilator.

PAECکو بہت مبارک دینا چاہتا ہوں کہ انھوں نے ایک اور #MadeInPakistan وینٹیلیٹر بنا لیا ہے،عالمی معیار کےطبی آلات بنانے میں پاکستان نے دو سالوں میں جوکامیابیاں حاصل کیں وہ قابل ستائش ہیں میں انجینئرز، ٹیکنیشنز اور تمام ٹیم کو مبارکباد دینا چاہتا ہوں آپ نے ہمارا سر فخر سے بلند کیا

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 28, 2021

"Pakistan's success in developing international-level medical equipment in the last two years is worth appreciating. I want to congratulate engineers, technicians and the entire team. You have raised our heads with pride," he tweeted.

Earlier, the newly appointed Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that the ventilators manufactured by Pakistan are not useful as they only fulfil 4 out of total 16 functions.