All this raises a few questions;
Boris Johnson says Dyson will manufacture them
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52043767Trump has ordered GM to produce them, 10000 per month.
https://www.bbc.com/news/52071611Is there really a global shortage of ventilators:
There certainly seems to be in Spain:
Price has risen from 26k to 96k due to demand:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52074862Are they difficult to make;
Probably not if only basic features are needed.
Most of the requirement seem to be covered with a proportional valve, some sensors and control.
CPAP machine seems to be some good:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/27/822211604/cpap-machines-were-seen-as-ventilator-alternatives-but-could-spread-covid-19?For more difficult cases there is definitely a better outcome if a fully featured and certified ventilator is used.
My insight is that near me is located a factory which manufacturers Ventilators for a major Medical device company. They announced last week that they are increasing production capacity, they are doubling it to 500 per week. To allow for this they are doubling the staff in the factory and moving to a 24/7 shift. Curious and keen to help as any engineer might be, I made some inquiries and found that they seem to have very few advertised jobs and certainly not the hundreds that they need to double capacity. There does seem to be a reasonable explanation for this, they have other products manufactured nearby so they likely just moved staff over to the ventilator plant. But as of today they are still not doing 24/7 shift, maybe its just a slow moving corporation problem, but would they not move faster in what is literally a life and death situation.
There are plenty obvious reasons why making life support equipment is a difficult task, these claiming they can start building these overnight seem to be living in a fantasy world.