Initially dependent on imports, India is now producing more than 1 lakh personal protection equipment (PPE) kits and N95 masks daily in the country itself. The production of indigenous ventilators has also started and orders have been placed for more than 59,000 units through nine companies.
The Union Health Ministry in a high-level meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 said domestic manufactures, which were identified earlier, have already started the production of PPE kits, face masks, etc, and adequate quantity of the same is available now.
“As on date, more than one lakh PPE kits and N95 masks are being manufactured every day in the country. There are, at present, 104 domestic manufacturers of PPE and three of N95 masks in the country,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Initially, the Government had to face lots of criticism as the kits were not sufficient to meet the increasing demand because of the country’s dependence on countries such as China for supplying such items.
In view of inadequate supply from China and other importers, the Government has ramped up domestic manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment, including ventilators, to meet the increasing demand, amid serious concerns over shortage of PPE for health workers.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has collaborated with local manufacturers to produce 20,000 N99 masks per day, while Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Ltd will provide support for manufacturing 30,000 ventilators.
“The domestic manufactures which have been identified earlier have already started the production of PPEs, masks etc., and adequate quantity of the same is available,” the Ministry said today. “As on date, more than 1 lakh PPEs and N95 masks are being manufactured everyday in the country.”
PPE kits, including gloves, coveralls and N95 masks, are not meant for re-use. Nurses, doctors and other medical personnel who tend to suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients must change these after every shift.
The GOM was also briefed on state-wise details of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, along with the adequacy of isolation beds and wards, PPE kits, N95 masks, drugs, ventilators and oxygen cylinders, among others, the health ministry said.
Given that there are well above 10 lakh people with suspected Covid-19 in quarantine and over 18,000 confirmed cases under treatment at hospitals, the per-day requirement of these kits and masks already likely to be above 1 lakh.
The GoM had a detailed deliberation on the measures taken as on date by the Centre and various states and Union territories for prevention, containment and management of coronavirus and all the districts were asked to follow and further strengthen their contingency plans to combat Covid-19, the Ministry said.
The GoM also deliberated on the various tasks assigned to several empowered committees and it was informed that around 92,000 NGOs, self-help groups (SHGs) and civil society organisations were working and contributing by providing food to migrant workers across the country.
It was also informed that the national level meta-data of health workers, NSS, NYK, NCC, doctors etc. has been shared with all the States, districts and other officials to mobilise resources and volunteers (Covid warriors) to much-needed locations.
There is presently data for more than 1.24 crore human resources on the dashboard and it is continuously being updated with the addition of new groups and sub-groups according to specialisation, the GoM was informed.
The dashboard contains State and district-wise information about the number of human resources available from each group, along with the contact details of the respective state and district nodal officers.
“These Covid warriors are being trained through online platforms such as the ministry of health website and the iGOT training portal,” the statement said. Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep S Puri, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai and Minister of State for Shipping and Chemical and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya, among others, were present at the meeting, along with other officials.