WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Apr 2) invoked the Defence Production Act to aid companies building ventilators for coronavirus patients to receive the supply of materials they need.
In a memo released by the White House, Trump directed the US Health and Human Services secretary to use his authority to help facilitate the supply of ventilator materials for six companies – General Electric Co, Hill-Rom Holdings Inc , Medtronic Plc, Resmed Inc, Royal Philips N.V. and Vyaire Medical Inc.
Lawmakers have clamoured for Trump to invoke the act to end or at least reduce the country’s yawning shortage of ventilators. Because the fast-spreading coronavirus is a respiratory disease, the need for ventilators is multiplying by the hundreds each day.
On Thursday, Johns Hopkins University said more than one million people around the world currently have the coronavirus.
READ: Global coronavirus cases top a million as Spain, Britain see record deaths
State officials and health experts said the United States will ultimately need tens of thousands of additional ventilators.
“I am grateful to these and other domestic manufacturers for ramping up their production of ventilators during this difficult time,” Trump said in a short statement released alongside the memo. “Today’s order will save lives by removing obstacles in the supply chain that threaten the rapid production of ventilators.”
Last week, Trump first invoked the emergency powers to compel auto giant General Motors to produce ventilators.
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