In Bosnia Ventilator Scandal, Manufacturer’s Warnings Unheard or Unheeded

Indeed, the manufacturer of the ACM812A knew they were no good for critically-ill patients. It had said so publicly, according to the findings of BIRN and Singapore-based The Initium.

Yet that did not stop authorities in Bosnia's Federation, one of two entities that make up the country, from spending roughly five million euros on 100 such ventilators, with Federation Prime Minister Fadil Novalic personally taking receipt of them at Sarajevo airport in April 2020, as the novel coronavirus was taking grip.

In December last year, Bosnia's state prosecution filed an indictment against Novalic and three others, accusing them of "obtaining unlawful material benefit" from the purchase of overpriced ventilators not suitable for the purpose stated by authorities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

BIRN and The Initium can now reveal that the fact the ventilators were unsuitable was public information three weeks prior to their purchase by Novalic's government and nearly a month before he took delivery of them.

'Only basic breathing support'

Inside Beijing Aerospace Changfeng Co. factory. Photo: Beijing Aerospace, WeChat

An investigation in Bosnia and China show that the manufacturer, Beijing Aerospace Changfeng Co., in response to a surge in interest from buyers, published a series of public announcements in March and April 2020 specifying that the ACM812A ventilator had limited capabilities.

A statement published on the website of the Shanghai stock market on March 27, 2020 characterised the devices as "transport ventilators".

"The ACM812A model has only basic breathing support functions and is not yet able to support the more complex breathing support needs of critically-ill patients," it said, and repeated the...