Locally-made ventilator ready for clinical trial: Palak

Bangladeshi tech-giant Walton, with the technical support from the US-based medical device and solution providing company Medtronic, has produced world-class ventilators, mechanical breathing devices, said state minister for ICT division Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Tuesday.

“We have been able to produce world-class ‘WPB 560’ in our country and functional prototypes of three models of the ventilator would soon be handed over to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for clinical trial,” he said.

The state minister was addressing a virtual press briefing today.

He added that after receiving no objection certificate from DGHS, Walton would be able to go into production on commercial level, an official release said.

“Of the three models of the functional prototype, one ‘WPB 560’ was jointly produced by Walton and Medtronic, the other two ‘WCV-20’ and ‘WAB-20’ were the invention of the Bangladeshi technological company. We’re hoping that we would be able to meet the demand of ventilators with our locally-made products,” Palak added.

The state minister for ICT division also thanked LICT Project of his division for coordinating between Medtronic and Walton to take this work.

Apart from Walton, 18 other ventilators were made by a2i innovation lab, which are now being evaluated.

ICT division senior secretary N M Zeaul Alam, ITES policy adviser of LICT Project Sami Ahmed, Walton’s ventilator project head Golam Morshed, Walton director Liyakat Ali and Medtronic representative, among others, attended the virtual briefing.