Elon Musk at an Award Ceremony

(Photo : Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently announced he is donating 1,255 ventilators he procured from China to help address hospital demands amid the shortage of medical equipment as coronavirus cases rise. 

In two tweets on Tuesday, he said he bought FDA-approved ResMed, Philips & Medtronic ventilators from China after finding they had an excess supply. All ventilators were air-shipped to Los Angeles. 

He also sent his gratitude to his Tesla team in China as well as customs for their fast response in shipping the ventilators. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom called Musk's act "a heroic effort" during a press conference. He also said the Tesla CEO was working with hospital associations and healthcare authorities to distribute the equipment. 

The World Health Organization has continuously urged countries to "optimize the availability" of the breathing equipment. Musk proposed using his Tesla car factory to manufacture ventilators should there be a shortage. 

It has been projected that over 960,000 COVID-19 patients in the country would require the use of a ventilator. It is estimated only 200,000 units are available across the country. 

Musk's donation comes after he dismissed the panic surrounding the pandemic as "dumb" and claimed kids "are immune" to the disease despite evidence showing it possible for kids to contract a severe case of the virus. 

The SpaceX engineer spent days fighting with local officials before he idled production in his Tesla factory.

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Numerous hospitals and healthcare facilities are looking far and wide for life-saving medical equipment as the rising COVID-19 cases deplete supplies. 

Experts say crucial medical supplies are facing shortages largely due to the fact that most are imported from China. Shipments of personal protective equipment and medical equipment have seen a decline since the Chinese government shut down factories to combat the rampant spread of the disease.

Chinese government authorities required N95 manufacturers to reserve the supply for Chinese customers after factories reopened.

Trade data from a news outlet showed no N95 shipment has arrived since February 19. 

A factory in South Dakota has doubled the output of N95 respirator masks over the last two months in response to the supply shortage. The plant, owned by Minnesota's 3M, aims to produce over a million masks a month. 

A factory in Honduras has started manufacturing surgical gowns while fashion designers Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, and Prada have offered their sewing machines and services in creating and sending fresh protective gear to hard-hit hospitals. 

A hospital in New York has turned to experiment with different ways to disinfect and reuse masks which included using ultraviolet light or powerful chemicals. 

The hospital has also released a policy where an employee is given one mask per shift, while those who pose a higher risk of getting infected are given more. 

Top hospitals like Mass General have also reported a rapid decline in personal protective equipment supplies and nasal swabs. Other hospitals have medical supplies just enough for a day or two. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance allowing healthcare providers to use a bandana or scarf when no other options are available.