FEMA Confirms US Disposed Of Russian Ventilators

The United States has disposed of 45 Russian-made lung ventilators, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson confirmed Sputnik on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) The United States has disposed of 45 Russian-made lung ventilators, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson confirmed Sputnik on Tuesday.

"The donated Aventa-M ventilators in question were disposed of following strict hazardous waste disposal regulatory guidelines set by the US General Services Administration (GSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, media reported that the ventilators had technical issues and were not used.

The FEMA spokesperson said added the ventilators were delivered in April to the US states of New York and New Jersey, which faced the most severe health crisis amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"Thankfully, the flattening curve meant these ventilators were not needed, but they were held in reserve in case the situations in New York and New Jersey worsened," the spokesperson said.

The ventilators were never deployed to hospitals and were returned to FEMA by the authorities in the two US states, the spokesperson added.