GM Is Producing 30,000 Ventilators for National Stockpile
America's ventilator supply—which has fallen drastically short as the coronavirus spreads—will soon get a big boon thanks to one of the country's most well-known companies. General Motors has signed a $489.4 million federal contract to build thousands of ventilators for the Strategic National Stockpile. Per the production schedule in the contract, the Detroit automaker will produce and deliver 30,000 ventilators by the end of August, delivering 6,132 ventilators by June 1.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that this is the first ventilator contract under the Defense Production Act, which President Trump invoked in March to get companies to produce essential materials needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. "By rating contracts under the DPA, HHS is helping manufacturers like GM get the supplies they need to produce ventilators as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that these ventilators are routed through the Strategic National Stockpile to where they’re needed most," HHS Secretary Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
GM will work with Ventec Life Systems to produce the ventilators for health care systems in urgent need of them. As the number of COVID-19 continues to increase across the country, hospitals are facing medical equipment shortages. "GM is proud to deploy its purchasing and manufacturing capability alongside the respiratory care expertise of Ventec," the company said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to working with the Administration to ensure American innovation and manufacturing meet the needs of the country during this global pandemic."
Before the contract was finalized, GM began working with Ventec Lifesystems in March to build the ventilators at a components plant in Kokomo, Indiana. In late March, Ford also announced that it would partner with GE build 50,000 ventilators.
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