COVID-19: Ashok Leyland develops modern ventilator for covid patient, to start mass production 

A team of over 50 engineers from the company worked on this project for over a month. This smart and nimble ventilator is built with all the essential features to help first-mile ventilation including the necessary sensors, controllers for volume, pressure monitoring and safeguards.

Truck maker Ashok Leyland responding to the state and center government’s call to support the fight against the COVID-19 announced a complete development and manufacturing of a ventilator.

In a holistic approach to address the entire gamut of requirements in Covid-19 patient breathing assistance, rather than working with just one solution and a product. This included first mile, mid-range and high-end ICU ventilators required for patients at different stages of disease progression. This approach ensures maximum availability of ventilation at optimum costs.

After discussing with various clinical experts and intensivists, the company identified the gap that there was no ready solution available for relevant and robust first-mile ventilation. Working to fill this gap, a team of 50 Ashok Leyland engineers have been working since end-March and have now readied a simple yet intelligent ventilator, at low cost but with all the essential features to aid first-mile ventilation including the necessary sensors and controllers for volume and pressure monitoring, and safeguards. The ventilator development is now complete. Testing, certification and clinical trials will conclude in the next few weeks, with the mass manufacture of this system later this month.

In the mid-range and high-end ICU ventilator segments, Ashok Leyland is working with two Chennai based Ventilator manufacturers viz. Kriti Kare India, a manufacturer of the ACUvent ventilators since 2014 and Phoenix Medical Systems a 30-year-old firm a  market leader in infant, maternal care products, assistive devices, and have developed an adult ventilator to support the COVI19 patients.

Under this arrangement, Ashok Leyland is offering help with component sourcing, supply chain, logistics, manpower for production planning and in line-quality which will help both the ventilator manufacturers to overcome the challenge of large-scale production in a short duration of time.

Sharing his thoughts on this initiative, Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “Our Sourcing and Engineering teams have been working 24X7 on these three projects. We are humbled that our efforts in developing these ventilators and support to Ventilator makers, will help the Government to prepare themselves for the future needs of people needing ventilator care.”

Commenting on the ventilator initiatives, Dr. N. Saravanan, CTO, Ashok Leyland, said, “With this holistic approach, covering all aspects of patient ventilation, we are able to best utilize our strengths across functions, to make our contribution and help fight the battle against Covid-19. The idea is to offer lean and rapid support as the nation builds its capacities for supporting different patients in various stages of Covid-19, with relevant solutions.”

Helping communities

Ashok Leyland a large manufacturing business taking active steps in helping communities in every possible way by providing material support. Through its strong country-wide network and its digital tools, has been at the forefront, fighting against Covid-19 over the last few weeks in terms of providing GenSets, operating free Community kitchens, providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), masks and vehicles for sanitation of streets and campuses.

The Company has also been assisting numerous people caught in the implications of the LockDown, including Truck Drivers, Migrant Workers, Underprivileged and Daily Wage-earners.

Breakdown assistance by servicemandi app:

To help keep the wheels moving, ensuring the supply of essential items, Ashok Leyland is putting its digital roadside assistance tool, ServiceMandi, to full use. It is providing breakdown assistance to the trucks transporting essentials, making sure no truck is stranded owing to the breakdown.

Breakdown assistance for more than 120 vehicles carrying essential items were attended by ServiceMandi workshops. This includes all brands of commercial vehicles. Despite restrictions, permissions were obtained from concerned local authorities to reach and restore the vehicles. The breakdown assistance helpline number is 1800-208-8800

Roadside assistance through en-Dhan card, in tie-up with HPCL:

Amplifying the utility of en-Dhan card, Ashok Leyland is providing roadside assistance through a task force of field executives of Ashok Leyland. They are contacting the stranded drivers across the country through WhatsApp and phone to provide assistance for:

Basic grocery kit consisting of rice / Atta, dal, and other basic necessities to cook food, mask, hand sanitizers, and soap. Safe parking space for trucks and shipment by offering access to HPCL bunks.

Making cash available by transferring money to the local HPCL bunk owner’s account, who in-turn withdraws the same and hands it over to the drivers. ‘Here to Care’, a roadside assistance helpline number is 1800-266-3340. Over 2000 drivers across the country have been supported through these initiatives.

Also Read: COVID-19: Supply chain restoration is vital for plants to restart, says Ashok Leyland