HYDERABAD: In order to be prepared if the Coronavirus situation in Telangana takes a turn for the worse, the State government is working on producing ventilators and Covid-19 test kits in collaboration with startups across the country.
This project is part of the IT Department’s attempt to look into the emerging technologies sector to find new methods of Covid-19 diagnostics. There have been reports that several countries including India are not performing adequate Coronavirus tests. Although officials refused to name the startups, they said that they have zeroed in on two who are offering new methods of diagnostics. An official who is working closely with the project said, “The aim is to be prepared if things go bad in the future.” Ventilators, which blow air into patients’ lungs to assist in breathing, are also critical in the fight against Coronavirus.
“We are also working with startups for manufacturing ventilators,” the official said. There are various startups offering low-cost ventilators in the country. Recently, a team of IIT-Kanpur researchers turned entrepreneurs readied a prototype of a low-cost ventilator that can be mass produced. Bengaluru-based OneBreath, is another such startup which manufactures low-cost portable and rechargeable ventilators. These can prove useful in rural areas with limited electricity and lack of access to large hospitals.
Tapping into emerging tech
The project is part of the IT Department’s attempt to look into the emerging technologies sector to find new methods of Covid-19 diagnostics. There have been reports that several countries including India are not performing adequate Coronavirus tests. Although officials refused to name the startups, they said that they have zeroed in on two that offer new methods of diagnostics