Its laboratories have prepared 20,000 litres of sanitiser

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a ventilator and is working with the industry to produce 5,000 of them per month to treat COVID-19 patients, Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy said on Thursday.

“Some time back, the DRDO developed a ventilator along with the Society for Biomedical technology (SBMT), its technology has been transferred to the industry. An industry in Mysuru is producing the secondary version of that ventilator now,” Dr. Reddy told news agency ANI.

He said the industry currently has a capacity to manufacture 5,000 ventilators per month and this could be scaled up to 10,000 per month.

The Defence Ministry said in a statement the DRDO laboratories had manufactured 20,000 litres of sanitiser and supplied to various organisations, including 10,000 litres to the Delhi police. “The DRDO has also supplied 10,000 masks to Delhi police personnel. It is tying up with some private companies to make personal protection equipment such as body suits and also ventilators,” it said.

“We have also developed N-99 and 3-layered masks,” Dr. Reddy said and added they were also working on providing ready-to-eat meals for the government and health workers through the Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysuru which already supplies them to the armed forces. The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has also ramped up production of sanitisers, masks and body suits.