Ballarat company Deutscher Healthcare has secured a state government contract to manufacture 250 healthcare beds in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The beds will be a part of state government efforts to prepare hospitals and the broader health system for a growing number of diagnosed coronavirus patients.
Deutscher Healthcare general manager Laurie Treadwell said the company had almost 40 beds in stock and would be required to manufacture another 212 by mid-May.
"It is effectively four-and-a-half to five months worth of work, all in five weeks," he said.
Deutscher Healthcare has been producing medical beds for use in home care and aged care environments, as well as hospitals and publicly-run aged care facilities for 20 years.
This time absolutely shows the importance of local manufacturing.
- Laurie Treadwell, Deutscher Healthcare
Mr Treadwell said he contacted Health Purchasing Victoria last week after hearing the state government was looking to purchase intensive care unit beds, ward beds and equipment.
He said many major suppliers of ICU beds and ward beds imported many of their products and could not meet supply demand in the current conditions, highlighting the importance of Australian manufacturers.
Ninety per cent of the Deutscher product is made at its Creswick Road factory.
"All our beds will have accessories and medical mattresses with them. The medical mattresses are being made by another family owned company in Melbourne that has been around for 60 or 70 years," Mr Treadwell said.
"So it benefits not only us but also our suppliers and our contractors which are all Australian based and most of them local. Our steel is procured through JB Camerons in Ballarat. Our powder coating is done by DW Controls which is another Ballarat firm."
"This time absolutely shows the importance of local manufacturing," Mr Treadwell said.
"For a lot of years now companies like us and many others that have folded have been struggling against the imported product.
"A couple of the major suppliers that supply ICU beds and ward beds normally to hospitals, import all their products. They are not able to supply at the moment because of the worldwide pandemic that is going on and most of their stock is being swallowed up in Europe or Asia or other countries so they can't supply into Australia.
"That shows the importance of maintaining manufacturing in Australia and the ability to make our own products."
Mr Treadwell said he hoped the extra 250 beds would not have to be put to use, as that would mean more people would become ill, but their production was a good news story for his business in difficult times.
"Unfortunately it is times like these that show what can be done by companies not just like us, but I am sure there are lots of other companies out there that are coming to the front with products and equipment that are required now," he said.
Deutscher is a family-business that has been operating in Ballarat since 1912. It also manufactures mowers and chipper shredders.
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