Mexico to start distribution of ventilators as the coronavirus pandemic surges

From the 2,711 ventilators purchased by the federal government to attend the COVID-19 pandemic , the first 11 will be distributed this week and it will be until September when the delivery of the medical equipment will be completed.

According to the COVID-19 Supply of Inputs Program presented by the deputy minister of Health Prevention and Promotion Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez , the 11 ventilators that arrived in Mexico in April are from the Hamilton C20 brand and were purchased from the company Medingenium S.A. de C.V.

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In June, there will be a distribution of 440 mechanical ventilators from the brands Aeonmed VG70, Mindray SV300, Dräger Evita V300, Covidien PB980, Covidien PB840, and GR/ R840.

In July , the López Obrador administration will distribute 120 ventilators that will be bought from the companies Diagnostics Solutions SAPI de CV and Encore Health.

In July , some weeks after the Health Ministry is expecting the highest peak of infections in the country, 1,020 ventilators will be purchased. In the first week of July, there will be 60 units and by the last week, there will be 1,000 .

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Finally, in August and September , a total of 1080 mechanical ventilators will be distributed for a total of 2,711 units.

The report also stresses that until April 4, the government has delivered 8,380 caps, 79,468 gloves , 4,249 diagnosis supplies , 110,000 N95 masks , 247,349 medicines , and 657 supplies for hand hygiene .

Starting tomorrow, 1498 surgical gowns , 200 googles , 391,860 caps , 728,000 gloves , 6,979 diagnosis supplies , 100,000 masks , 1,308,000 N95 masks , 42,996 healing materials , 577,147 medicines , and 10,843 supplies for hand hygiene will be distributed.

Among the 161 pieces of medical equipment that will arrive in Mexico this week are 50 oximeters , 11 ventilators , 54 monitors , 2 portable X-ray units , and 44 intensive care beds , all of which are expected to be distributed four or five days after their arrival.

In order to address the COVID-19 crisis , the Mexican government bought medical supplies from China worth USD $56.4 million, including 11.5 million KN95 respirators , as announced on April 9 by Foreign Affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard .

Calculating that there will be between two and four flights per week, the minister said a second plane with supplies from China would arrive on Friday night; the first arrived with 725,000 gloves and 820,000 KN95 masks .

“The reason why we are doing the airbridge with China is that from the countries that produce medical supplies it is the one that is done with the pandemic,” explained Ebrard.

Additionally, Mexico has purchased 5,272 ventilators abroad that will start arriving next week.

The medical supplies bought from China, which also include 16.7 million surgical masks , will arrive in 20 planeloads with the support of Aeroméxico; the Mexican government will only supply fuel .

The second flight that arrived on Friday brought masks and protective gear requested by Mexican doctors who are in direct contact with patients with COVID-19 .

“We want to thank the People's Republic of China for the promptness with which this request by Mexico has been answered,” said Ebrard.

Mexico has been in a health emergency since last week due to the new coronavirus. The Health Ministry calculates that there are over 26,000 COVID-19 cases in the country based on an assessment model for the pandemic developed by the World Health Organization .

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