The Ministry of External Affairs is also approaching suppliers in China for ventilators (File)
The centre has asked automobile manufacturers to use their facilities to make ventilators in order to increase the availability of such machines in view of rise in the COVID-19 cases, officials said on Monday.
It also said the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will start manufacturing 20,000 N-95 masks daily from next week.
According to the health ministry, over 14,000 existing ventilators are earmarked for COVID-19 patients in various hospitals of the country, while there are 11.95 lakh N-95 masks in stock.
An additional 5 lakh masks have been distributed in the past two days. As many as 1.40 lakh masks were distributed on Monday, it said.
The ministry also said 3.34 lakh personal protection equipment (PPE) coveralls are available with hospitals in the country and another 3 lakh, which have been donated, will be received from abroad by April 4.
"Automobile manufacturers have been asked to manufacture ventilators and they are working towards this end," the health ministry said in a tweet.
Besides, the ministry has asked the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, to manufacture 30,000 ventilators in the next two months in collaboration with local manufacturers.
Among the private players, Agva Healthcare in Noida has been given an order to manufacture 10,000 ventilators within a month. Their supplies are expected to commence in the second week of April, the ministry said.
In the meantime, orders have been placed with international companies such as Hamilton, Mindray and Draeger to supply ventilators, it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs is also approaching suppliers in China for sourcing 10,000 ventilators from them, it said in a statement.
Ventilators are required for COVID-19 patients, as they tend to develop acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS).