CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Healthcare President & CEO Kieran Murphy today issued the following statement around efforts to address the coronavirus (COVID-19):
“GE Healthcare is proud to support customers, governments and the broader healthcare community in the fight against the coronavirus. Our dedicated teams are working around the clock to ensure that our customers and partners on the front lines have the equipment and servicing needed to diagnose and treat patients with COVID-19.
“To help address this global challenge, we have increased our manufacturing capacity and output of equipment – including CTs, ultrasound devices, mobile X-ray systems, patient monitors and ventilators – important in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients, while taking steps to ensure safe operations for our employees.
“As the global pandemic evolves, there is unprecedented demand for medical equipment, including ventilators. We continue to explore all options to support this increased need. Direct actions we are taking include:
- Adding manufacturing lines to ventilator production and increasing the number of shifts to produce around the clock.
- Hiring additional manufacturing employees and shifting current employees to support increased demand immediately.
- Managing our supply chain by working with suppliers to mitigate shortages and minimize impact on our customers globally.
- Partnering with global regulators and using our clinical and technical expertise to urgently address questions from customers on how to meet patient needs.
- Monitoring the health of our field service engineers and providing personal protective equipment for them when servicing devices – as well as increasing remote diagnostic and repair capabilities.
“As we continue to support our customers and partners, the health and safety of our employees remains our top priority. I am deeply proud of the work the GE Healthcare team is doing to tackle this global challenge.”