COVID-19: US cheers young Indian engineers developing low-cost ventilators

Senior US diplomat said that America is cheering for Indian engineers who are in the race against time to develop a low-cost ventilator as the demand of the machine surges across the world. Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), quoting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Alice Wells, tweeted that the race to build such low-cost ventilator could be potential game-changer in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.

According to media reports, a group of young engineers working for a Pune-based startup, which makes water-less solar plant cleaning robot, are building the ventilator which will cost Rs 50,000, almost one-third the price of current ventilators made by other Indian companies. 

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Indian Ambassador to the United States also applauded the efforts of young engineers to develop a low-cost ventilator and wished them success. “Young engineers, with help from doctors and entrepreneurs in India and the US, are developing a low-cost ventilator that could save thousands of lives,” tweeted Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Read: Health Ministry Identifies 20 Exisiting & 22 Potential Hotspots Of COVID-19 In The Country

'US will work shoulder to shoulder'

Alice Wells has been appreciative of India's effort and recently echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to keep up fighting spirits as the world embattles the coronavirus pandemic. “The US will work shoulder to shoulder with India to combat the #COVID19 outbreak. Together, we can safeguard our citizens and people everywhere,” Wells had tweeted. She had also applauded PM Modi’s call for Janta Curfew on March 22 where people voluntarily stayed home and applauded workers on the forefront of the battle against coronavirus. 

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(Image credit: AP)