Brazil turns to local industries to build ventilators amid COVID-19 crisis

Due to the failure of purchasing ventilators from China, Brazil has now turned to its local industries to manufacture the respiratory equipment, international media reported citing Brazilian Health minister Henrique Mandetta. In his address, the minister also announced that the government was aiming to build a hospital for the indigenous population. Brazil, where the outbreak first began in February has till now reported 16,188 cases of infection and 820 deaths.

Mandetta, on April 8 reported the first case of the COVID-19 infection among the Yanomami Tribe on the nation’s largest reservation. He reportedly added that the Brazilian government is planning to build a field hospital for those indigenous people who are susceptible to the virus.

Read: Brazil’s Former Leader Lula Da Silva Calls Bolsonaro A Disaster Amid Pandemic

Read: PM Modi Dials Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro To Discuss Coronavirus Pandemic

'Other big problems' 

Meanwhile, the country's President Jair Bolsonaro insisted that in addition to the virus, the other big problem of Brazil was unemployment which caused "poverty, hunger and death" in the nation.  He reportedly quoted the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that "each country has its own peculiarities, that is, the solution is not the same for everybody" adding that the consequences of the treatment for coronavirus "can't be more harmful" than the disease. Bolsonaro criticized the decisions taken by local governors and mayors across Brazil to apply some restrictive measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus, saying that the federal government was not asked about the length and extent of those measures.

Meanwhile, during his national address on April 8, Bolsonaro extended his gratitude to PM Modi and India for helping the South American country in its battle against coronavirus. This comes after India reversed its former stance to ban the export of Hydroxychloroquine. "We have more good news. As an outcome of my direct conversation with Prime Minister of India, we will receive, by Saturday, raw materials to continue our production of Hydroxychloroquine so that we can treat patients of COVID-19 as well as of Lupus, Malaria, and Arthritis. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for such timely help to the people of Brazil," Jair Bolsonaro said. 

Read: Brazil President Defends His Stance On Coronavirus

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(With inputs from agencies)