Congress hits out at Gujarat CM for promoting ‘inefficient’ ventilator for COVID-19 patients

The Congress on Saturday hit out at Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for inaugurating and promoting ventilator 'Dhaman-1', which is reported to be "mechanised Ambu-bag and inefficient" in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

HLL Lifecare, a healthcare product manufacturing company based in Kerala which is owned by the Central government, placed an order for 5,000 such ventilators.

"When the entire world is grappling with COVID-19 and the impact it has had on their lives and economic well being and grappling with fear and uncertainty, we come across layers and layers of controversies coming from Gujarat in its fight against COVID-19," Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a press conference on Saturday.

The Congress leader said on April 4, Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani accompanied by his Deputy Nitinbhai Patel inaugurated 'Dhaman-1' at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Terming Dhaman-1 a "so-called ventilator", he said the ventilator was donated to Gujarat and placed in Ahmedabad civil hospital as per CSR guidelines of the company. "Later Gujarat Chief Minister and other states also got inspired because everyone wants more ventilators. HLL Lifecare -- a GOI PSU placed an order for 5,000 Dhaman-1," he said.

Emphasising on the complaints against ventilators, Khera said: "On 15 May, ICU superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital wrote to the government asking for more ventilators and informed that Dhaman-1 does not work on patients, is not capable and is not a good ventilator."

There were media reports that quote doctors who say Dhaman-1 is not a ventilator; it is a mechanised Ambu-bag, artificial manual breathing bag which it cannot be classified as a ventilator, he said. He claimed that the company website and Gujarat CM and Gujarat government insisted it is a ventilator.

He further stressed on a "very disturbing" data from Ahmedabad civil hospital which states a maximum number of patients that have died are from Ahmedabad civil hospital.

On April 5, a Rajkot based firm, Jyoti CNC, held a successful trial of ventilator 'Dhaman 1' manufactured by them. The firm had said that it will give 1000 ventilators free of cost to the Gujarat government. The cost of one ventilator was around Rs 1 lakh