San Diego company among ventilator manufacturers covered by Trump order

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - President Donald Trump issued an order under the Defense Production Act directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services to facilitate the supply of materials needed for six companies to produce ventilators amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including San Diego-based ResMed Inc.

Thursday's order came amid shortages of ventilators and other medical supplies at hospitals across the country.

Trump said the order would "remove obstacles in the supply chain'' and help the manufacturers "secure the supplies they need to build ventilators needed to save American lives. I am grateful to these and other domestic manufacturers for ramping up their production of ventilators during this difficult time.''

Other companies referenced in the order were General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, Royal Phillips and Vyaire Medical.

"ResMed is pleased to see the White House prioritize access to critical ventilator components, enabling not only ResMed but all industry-leading ventilator manufacturers to speed up both production and delivery of lifesaving devices to patients who need them most,'' a company statement read.

"Again, we encourage automakers, aerospace equipment producers, and other non-ventilation manufacturers to help us source or create more of these components, strengthening the supply chain that all ventilator makers are drawing from to help meet this rising global demand and save lives.''

ResMed announced plans last week to exponentially increase its production of ventilators amid the pandemic, with ResMed CEO Mick Farrell saying, "We are looking to double or triple the output of ventilators, and scale up ventilation mask production more than tenfold.''