Nihon Kohden Corp. has said it will ramp up ventilator production by working with Toyota Motor Corp. in order to prepare for the possible wider spread of COVID-19 in Japan, which has so far appeared to avoid the spikes in cases seen in the U.S. and Europe.
The medical-equipment maker plans to deliver 1,000 ventilators in the next six months by boosting output fivefold, a spokeswoman said Thursday. Nihon Kohden makes mask-type ventilators domestically, while those to intubate patients are produced in California.
Manufacturers including General Motors Co. and General Electric Co. are using their production capabilities to boost the supply of ventilators, considered critical equipment for severely ill COVID-19 patients.