AN AMMANFORD-based engineering company has teamed up with a senior consultant to develop a ventilator in the battle against coronavirus.

The Covid Emergency Ventilator has successful treated a coronavirus patient and has been given the backing of the Welsh Government.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, initiated the design of the ventilator saying it puts Wales "on the front foot" in the battle against Covid-19.

Doctor Rhys Thomas, a consultant anaesthetist at Glangwili hospital, Carmarthen devised the machine based on his military background along with advice from doctors fighting Covid-19 in Bergamo, Italy.

Dr Thomas said: "I was desperately concerned about the lack of intensive care unit (ICU) ventilators to deal with the inevitable pandemic."

Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, put the doctor in touch with Maurice Clarke of CR Clarke - a Betws engineering company specialising in Thermoforming and Plastic Fabrication equipment.

It took just three days to come up with a device and the doctor said it is simple and robust to work against the virus in a contagious environment.

The Welsh Government has given the go-ahead for production of up to 100 ventilators a day.

Dr Thomas added: "Although it won't replace an ICU ventilator, the majority of patients won’t need intensive care if they are treated with this ventilator first, releasing ICU ventilators for more serious Covid-19 cases and other general medical cases."

“The machine has other benefits in that it will clean the room of viral particles and only supply purified air to the patient. The patient can self-care as specialist nurses are not required releasing them for other duties.”

Mr Price praised all those involved. He said: "It’s fantastic that we have such brilliant expertise in Carmarthenshire to create and deliver this new device in volume at such short notice."

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards added: "This shows what we can achieve as a nation with swift political leadership. When this crisis is over lets hope that Ammanford, Carmarthenshire and Wales will have a notable mention for how people got together to meet the challenges of the biggest challenge faced by humankind for a century."