India to unveil first ever ‘CE-marked’ ventilator

In a further boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, India is all set to unveil the first ever “CE-marked” ventilator which will be manufactured for both domestic and international markets.

Developed with the support of teams in France, the novel ventilator will meet the requirements of ICU, emergency and post-operative wards. The ventilators will be manufactured at a plant in Chennai, in conformity with the latest European norms. “We support the Make in India initiative and wanted to be a part of the government’s initiative. We have taken an important step which is to bring technology to India to develop a product in India as per their requirements. There is expertise in India and we have all the ingredients to make a good product. We are following very stringent quality standards that we have in France and expecting good response in the Indian market,” said Jean Marc Giner, managing director of Air Liquide Medical systems, an international company specialised in manufacturing medical devices for acute and chronic respiratory case having R&D and manufacturing capabilities in France.

The non-invasive, touchscreen-enabled Orion G ventilator, experts say, works at a small effort of the patients and therefore improves patient comfort. “Worldwide only 15 companies manufacture ventilators. In India, there are local manufacturers and we are bringing the best technology in India. It works at the slightest effort of the patient and hence it will prove beneficial specially to the patients who need utmost care,” said managing director of ALMS in India Siva Kumar.

While the experts did not disclose the price of the equipment, they said it is expected to cost around '5 lakh and is perfect for the government settings due to its easy-to-carry small size. Besides ventilators, the company is also manufacturing medical air compressors in India which are now exported to various countries.