In April 2020, shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Africa, the National Ventilator Project (NVP) was launched by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). The project was initiated in an attempt to rapidly develop and produce ventilation solutions for the anticipated increase in demand for such equipment as a result of the pandemic. The DTIC approached companies with this mandate, specifying the requirement for a non-invasive, pre-intubation ventilation system, which is expected to be suitable for the majority of COVID-19 patients.
