In a setback to Pakistan’s efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz has said that the locally manufactured ventilators produced amidst the COVID pandemic are not useful.

Talking to the media after visiting the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), the minister said that there were 16 functions of ventilators but the ventilators being made at local level have only four functions, he said.

National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) and private firms were manufacturing ventilators in the country.

To a question regarding the availability and production of ventilators, the federal minister said they did not have sufficient oxygen and other necessary stock in our country for dealing with any emergency situation related to COVID-19.

He said the Ministry of Science and Technology acted as facilitators and they did not have their own ventilators yet.

Responding to another question regarding activating Pakistan Steel Mills’ (PSM) Oxygen Plant, he said the ministry of industries and production was looking into the PSM Oxygen Plant and he had also spoken to the minister of industries and production in this regard.

However, he said that what he thought was that PSM Oxygen Plant might not be made operational in an emergency due to some problem.