Kerala begins indigenous production of PPE to meet shortage, says CM Pinarayi

Kochi-based KITEX Garments has developed PPE kit as per the mandate of the Centre, while Aerofil Filters India has developed N94 masks in collaboration with MakerVillage.

Coronavirus Coronavirus

At a time when shortage of medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) are being reported across the globe, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that several companies in the state have started indigenous production of the necessary materials.

With demand rising, there has been a massive shortage of gloves, N95 masks, PPE and other medical equipment like ventilators.

“Kochi-based KITEX Garments (an infant garment brand) has developed a PPE kit as per the mandate of the Centre. Per day they can produce up to 20,000 PPE kits. This is a gain for the state,” said Chief MInister Pinarayi Vijayan.

There were earlier reports that thousands of PPE kits imported from China were found faulty.

Read: Thousands of PPE kits imported from China fail safety standards, unusable

Another company, Kochi-based Aerofil Filters India, which supplies air filters, has developed N95 masks in collaboration with the MakerVillage - a joint venture of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the state government. “They can start the production of masks after getting the permission from the Centre’s (Defence Research Development Organisation) laboratory in Gwalior,” said CM.

Pinarayi also noted that the decreasing supply of ventilators has given rise to a crisis.

“The government had asked industries whether they could start production of ventilators. NeST Group’s research centre in Kochi has developed ventilators meeting international standards within 10 days. Expert doctors from the state had examined the ventilators and had expressed satisfaction. After getting all necessary permission from the Centre, it can be produced and made available at a low cost,” said Pinarayi Vijayan.

He said that production of surgical gloves is underway in the state. The CM also said that Ubio, a biopharmaceutical firm in Kerala’s KinfraPark in Thiruvananthapuram has developed a testing kit for COVID-19. “ICMR’s (Indian Council of Medical Research) permission is awaited for this," he said.

Pinarayi Vijayan also added that the active involvement of industrialists is evidence of how the industrial sector is also ramping up to meet COVID-19 demand.