Pakistan eyes to buy ventilators from Russia amid corona crisis

• The ambassador said that the country just like the rest of the countries is facing ventilators shortages and is trying to find a way out of this situation.

Amid a shortage of medical equipment in wake of the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of the country is eyeing to buy lung ventilators from Russian companies, said Pakistan’s envoy to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan.

The ambassador said that the country just like the rest of the countries is facing ventilators shortages and is trying to find a way out of this situation.

"But one challenge which still remains is ventilators, just like everywhere else in the world. It is a challenge, which we are trying to deal with," he said while speaking to Russian News Agency TASS. "Our Disaster Management authorities have started scouting the Russian companies for the purchases of ventilators. They are working in terms of getting technical specs, the pricing quotations, and everything."

The envoy informed that Pakistan has resolved the problem of masks shortage and is now producing enough of them.

Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza informed that the government would have 20,000 COVID-19 diagnostic capacity per day by the end of this month.

To date, as many as 14,000 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Pakistan. At least 3.200 patients have recovered and over 300 have died.