[ad_1]
The Health Ministry said that the huge establishment and expansion of local medical equipment manufacturing companies have been playing a critical role in reducing the country’s dependence on importing face masks and other items to prevent the novel coronavirus (COVID -19) speaking to The Ethiopian Herald,
The Minister of State for Health, Sahrela Abdullahi, stated that due to the high demand created by COVID-19, many textile companies are switching to the production of surgical masks, thus contributing to participate in the import substitution strategy.
Noting that Ethiopia has obtained the majority of face masks through imports and donations from international institutions, including the Jack Ma Foundation, Sahrela noted that many governments are currently banning the export of face masks due to the increase in the pandemic. The ministry has been launching international tenders to make use of surgical masks for the growing number of healthcare professionals that are being deployed to COVID-19 treatment and isolation centers.
“We have witnessed a large consumption of surgical masks in the centers,” he said, adding that investment by local firms in this sector will be of the utmost importance to supply quality products and alleviate shortages.
The government has disbursed a substantial amount of foreign exchange for the purchase of COVID-19 preventive items, including personal protective equipment (PPE), oxygen tanks, beds, and ventilators, and encourages private sector participation in the production of medical equipment.
Guyya Medical Equipment Manufacturing Company is one of the leading national companies engaged in the production of face masks.
Sign up for free AllAfrica newsletters
Get the latest African news straight to your inbox
Company owner and CEO Mubarak Kemal said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call for all Ethiopians to participate in the fight against COVID-19 encouraged his company, formerly known as Guyya Textile Manufacturing, to change the clothing business to the medical industry.
Consequently, the young entrepreneur has invested a total of 10 million dollars in the manufacturing plant located in Bethel, Kolfe Keranyo Sub City and in the import of raw materials and other related expenses.
Coming into operation in April 2020, Guyya initially produced 250,000 surgical masks in a daily service, while importing 99 percent bacteria-filtering non-woven raw materials from China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
“In full operation, Guyya has the capacity to produce about one million surgical masks in a daily operation,” Mubarak said, adding that the company has a plan to export masks to the international market while meeting local demand. The factory has also made a huge commitment to improving the production of face masks for children, considering the imminent reopening of schools.
After mentioning the difficulty they have faced in obtaining additional land, the CEO stated that the situation forced the company to execute half of its capacity. Addressing the bureaucratic and infrastructure setbacks that investors have been encountering in the operation phase is critical to allowing the private sector to complement the government’s COVID-19 control efforts, he stressed.
Guyya Medical Equipment Manufacturing Company was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Dereje Deguma, and other high-level government officials last July.
