In Turkey, three companies – unmanned aerial vehicle producer Baykar, defense giant Aselsan and major appliances firm Arçelik – have decided to support the mass production of technology firm BIOSYS’ mechanical ventilator, the Biyovent, learned GDC quoting Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.
Biyovent was developed following a five-year research and development process that took place between 2012 and 2017. The company produces and sells 32 devices.
Firms launched the mass production process and delivered the first 100 devices to Başakşehir City Hospital, which opened last week in the Turkish metropolitan city of Istanbul.
After the COVID-19 crisis began, we started to work trying to manufacture critical parts of the device locally, said Cemal Erdoğan, the head of BIOSYS, referring to the fact that previously, medical companies imported certain parts for the devices, such as valves and chips, from other countries.
President Erdoğan said that currently, the device includes more than 2,000 components, with almost all parts, including valves, having been produced locally, adding that:Producing this device requires high-capacity, multidisciplinary engineering and critical tests.Selçuk Bayraktar, the chief technology officer of Baykar, said exports of the devices, even its parts and test equipment, were prohibited globally.
5,000 devices to be produced
Bayraktar added that Arçelik would produce 5,000 devices by the end of May, while Aselsan was also in the process of establishing a production line, noting the firm would continue to work with BIOSYS and Aselsan for the development of all systems on the technology side.
Referring to the campaign for devices, he said that Baykar had donated 250 devices to the country’s Health Ministry to use in hospitals or to send to friendly nations.
Aselsan, the missile producer Roketsan, Arçelik, defense firm Havelsan, the Turkish branch of e-commerce giant Amazon, Turkish Aerospace Industries and agricultural technology company Tarnet also joined the campaign. Our Health Ministry also ordered 5,000 units.
We now have over 1,000 devices to donate through our campaign, he said.Dr. Mustafa Yılmaz, the general secretary of the Alliance of International Doctors, said mechanical ventilators were being used in intensive care services and surgeries for patients who have respiratory diseases.
While Turkey had around 18,000 mechanical ventilators and 25,000 intensive care beds before the pandemic, the U.K. had only 8,175 devices, he noted.
To assist other nations, Turkey has also boosted its production of masks, gloves and personal protective equipment, donating them to scores of countries, including Spain, Italy and the U.K.
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