The Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP), in the Israel Defense Ministry and Sion Medical have Inaugurated Israel’s First Production Line for N95 Masks as part of the ministry's preparations for a possible second wave of the coronavirus.
The production line, located in the city of Sderot in southern Israel, has a production capacity of up to 2 million masks per month.
Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz: "The State of Israel is fighting a virus that threatens and takes human lives. We are preparing for a second wave of the virus, and are also in the process of entering a period of routine with a backdrop of Corona.”
Following a complex international procurement operation in the last months, the Ministry of Defense notes a significant milestone in the transition to the complete, local production of medical equipment to combat the Corona virus. Deputy Director General and Head of the DOPP in the Ministry of Defense, Avi Dadon, recently inaugurated the establishment of a production line for N95 masks at the highest level of bacterial screening. This is the first production line of its kind in Israel, and among the few around the world.
At the beginning of the health crisis, the Ministry of Defense led a strategic campaign to transfer the production of essential medical equipment to Israel (this includes ventilators, masks, and protective gear). The goal is to minimize the dependence of Israel on the import of equipment, and also to prepare for a second wave of morbidity.
With the assistance of the DOPP, several mask production machines were brought to Israel from China, and for the first time, a machine was also brought to produce millions of N95 masks. These masks have a filtering capacity of 95% and are essential for medical teams that come in direct contact with virus patients and carriers.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said: "I commend the important activities of the procurement directorate and of the entire Ministry of Defense, which encourages ‘blue and white’ [local] production. The State of Israel is fighting a virus that threatens and takes human lives. We are preparing for a second wave of the virus, and are also in the process of entering a period of routine with a backdrop of Corona. This activity removes our dependence on foreign factors, contributes to the Israeli economy during a difficult period, and also provides employment opportunities for the residents of the south.”
Deputy Director General and Head of the DOPP, Avi Dadon, said: "As part of the Defense Ministry's strategy of being independent from overseas imports, here in Sderot we declare independence in the production of very important gear for medical teams, gear with the highest possible filtering capacity. In the executive team, we always rely on Israeli production and see great importance, during such difficult times, in boosting Israeli industries, with an emphasis on the periphery."
CEO and Owner of Sion Medical Company, Daniel Lev Israeli, added: "The machine that was brought to Israel with the DOPP will be able to produce about 2 million masks per month and starting in the coming weeks the masks that will be used by medical teams will be Israeli N95 masks, made using raw materials from the Israeli industry."