Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, March 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese chemical maker Asahi Kasei Corp. <3407> said Wednesday that a U.S. unit will increase ventilator production in response to rising demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Massachusetts-based unit, Zoll Medical Corp., aims to increase production to 10,000 units per month, almost a 25-fold expansion from recent volumes.

Zoll is expanding operating hours at a local plant while asking parts makers to increase supplies in an effort to meet the production target. Its ventilators are set to be sold to medical institutions across the world.

"As we strive to meet the increased demand, we...are prepared to expand our supply base as necessary," Zoll Chief Executive Officer Jon Rennert said in a statement released on Monday.

"We have always strived to build the highest-quality portable ventilators on the market. We are now also focused on volume," Rennert said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]