First Turkish-made ventilator 'due mid-April' amid coronavirus outbreak

A Turkish firm will deliver the country's first home-made medical ventilator after April 15, the industry and technology minister said on Friday.

Mustafa Varank said that more than 100 engineers from the country's high-tech firms such as Baykar, Aselsan and TAI were working to produce the device in accordance with international standards.

Several companies, some of them from the health sector, are focused on manufacturing the breathing machines, which are critical for the treatment of coronavirus.

BIOSYS, a Turkish technology producer, made its first prototype after a five-year research and development process.

The ventilator's mass production has already begun at a plant owned by Arcelik, a household manufacturing company.

Ankara, Varank said, is also supporting 14 projects to develop COVID-19 vaccine and medicines through funding of up to 18 million Turkish liras ($2.7 million).

He said research in this regard was being conducted under the coordination of Scientific and Technological Research Council.

Some 24 universities, 8 public research institutions, 8 private firms and several researchers are working under the country's COVID-19 platform, the minister added.

The virus that surfaced in China last December has infected over a million people in 181 countries, according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University.

While the global death toll is over 54,000, more than 218,000 people have made recoveries.

In Turkey, 18,135 people have contracted the virus, while 356 have died.