National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal has revealed that he means to acquire 10,000 ventilators as part of his plan to cope with the coronavirus crisis in the country. Currently the country only has a little over 2,000 ventilators, only half of which he said would be available for use in the current situation.

"Unfortunately, nothing is available anywhere except China," he said, adding that Chinese authorities have directed their businesses to sell to Pakistan as "preferred buyer".

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