Low price of Pindad’s ventilators and claim there is no problem with patent

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 08:41 am

PT Pindad (Persero), an Indonesian state-owned enterprise specializing in military and commercial products, currently producing ventilators to combat Covid-19 pandemic.

Pindad sells its ventilators at an affordable price so medical workers will be able to conduct treatment for Covid-19 patients.

Deputy Secretary of PT Pindad’s Corporate Secretary, Herryawan Roosdyanto said that the ventilator that Pindad is currently developing is the VRM type, a simple ventilator at a very low price.

The VRM type ventilators is at a price of Rp 10 million – Rp 15 million. Cheaper than imported ventilators which are generally priced at Rp 700 million.

Pindad believes that the ventilator they are developing has no problems with patents. Because the ventilator was developed with human resources in the Pindad research and development agency.

There are many types of Ventilators two of which are VRM and Covent-20 which are being developed by Pindad in collaboration with a number of stakeholders. Pindad VRM is a tool designed to help patients with respiratory failure by providing additional oxygen.

While Covent-20 is an emergency and transportation ventilator (portable) with constant cycle time and volume designed for use in prehospital, intra-hospital, inter-hospital, and transportation settings.

Furthermore, regarding the low price of ventilators offered by Pindad, said Herryawan, it is caused by the components and raw materials used which are locally sourced and easily obtained in the market.

Pindad through Research and Development Pindad has developed its own VRM Ventilator. The development involved doctors at Pindad Hospital. Currently, the development process is still in the feasibility certification stage at the Health Facilities Safety Agency (BPFK) Ministry of Health.

As for patents, according to Herryawan, there is no problem with the ventilator being developed by Pindad.

For the production of other types of Ventilators such as Covent-20, he explained that Pindad is collaborating with the University of Indonesia, which has its design and patent. PT Pindad also opened itself to collaborate with other institutions and universities in producing ventilators that are needed by Covid-19 patients.