Considered a critical resource in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Navy is all set to mass produce cost effective personal protective equipment (PPE) kits after getting the nod from the country's top testing agency, officials said on Friday.
According to Indian Navy officials, the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is of serious concern as it imperils the well-being and availability of the healthcare workforce, apart from adversely impacting their security and morale.
“We have risen to this challenge of making the PPE kits available. A team was formed by the Innovation Cell, Institute of Naval Medicine, Mumbai and the Naval Dockyard Mumbai collaborated to design and produce PPE. The outstanding features of the PPE are its simple, innovative, and cost-effective design. Thus it can be made by basic gown manufacturing facilities", the officer said.
The PPE kit, the officer added, is required to meet stringent criteria on testing and the benchmarks of the same are set by India's Apex Biomedical Research Body and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
#IndianNavy’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) clears certification by INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences).
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 8, 2020
Can now be mass produced & used in clinical #Covid_19 situations#IndiaFightsCorona#MoDAgainstCorona#हरकामदेशकेनामhttps://t.co/SmAbMZXFtS pic.twitter.com/53qZ8McFib
"Our PPE kits passed with 6/6 Synthetic blood penetration resistance test pressure, (the government of India mandates a minimum 3/6 and above as per ISO 16603 standards) which was carried out by INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences) Delhi, India's defence lab organisation tasked with the testing and certification of PPE, and is certified to be mass produced and used in clinical COVID situations", the officer said.
Pointing towards the innovative choice of fabric used to make it, the officer said it gives the PPE its "breathability" and penetration resistance, rendering it both comfortable and safe for the user.
Last month, India's defence lab had shifted its testing facility to carry out quick quality checks to ensure faster delivery of medical gear to frontline warriors.
According to reports, India requires at least 6.2 million PPEs to fight the global pandemic.
As per the government, the country has reported 56,342 positive cases of COVID-19 while 1,886 people have lost their lives due to the infectious virus so far.
