Punjab building up stocks of PPE, life-saving equipment amid COVID-19 crisis: Official

The Punjab government on Sunday said it has begun building up stocks of various life-saving equipment and other protective gears to tackle any further exigency arising out of the coronavirus outbreak.

“Punjab government is aggressively building up its stocks of life-saving equipment such as masks, gloves, ventilators, personal protection equipment kits etc with large quantities of these materials already being in stock and much more expected to be available over the next few days,” a government statement said here.

By March 31, the state will have another 25,000 N95 masks, in addition to the 52,500 masks that it already has in stock, along with one lakh nitrile gloves, it said.

While the state government already has at its disposal 26.32 lakh triple layer masks, another 12 lakh will get added to the inventory by April 1, the government release said.

As far as the much-needed PPE kits are concerned, the government has ordered a total of one lakh PPE kits, of which 7,640 have already been received, said the release.

Other critical supplies already available with the government include 10,425 hand sanitisers and 17,000 VTM kits, with 2,000 and 10,000 more of them respectively, already on the way and expected to be added to the inventory by April 1.

The government is also procuring much-needed ventilators for handling critical cases, the release added.

Other materials being procured by the government to combat the coronavirus crisis include the 'automated mid-high nucleic acid purification machines', along with large quantities of azithromycin and hydroxy-chloroquine tablets, besides the pediatric and adult laryngoscopes and ambu bags besides portable X-ray machines.

To reduce dependence on outside vendors, the state government has roped in local manufacturers, the release said, adding samples prepared by them were at present being tested.

The business-to-business tie-ups were being facilitated, as a result of which 10 lakh pieces of indigenously-made hazmat armour suits had been ordered by the central government from JCT Mills, Phagwara, said Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan in a release.

To facilitate testing of these suits, the Punjab police had taken samples to Delhi from where they were sent to the Central testing laboratory in Coimbatore in a special flight.

The samples of PPEs and N95 masks designed and made at six more Punjab units have also been sent to Coimbatore and Gwalior for testing, while two local entrepreneurs have come forward with proposals to make ventilators, said Mahajan.

In addition, 8,000 tablets each of ARV (Ritonovir and Liponovir) have been provided to three medical facilities.

The state is also in continuous discussion with the health ministry and other central ministries involved in regulatory clearances, to handhold entrepreneurs and fast track clearances to enable production of ventilators in Punjab, she said, adding the state government will ensure immediate orders for these as soon as the clearances come in.

The Industry Department was extending full support, in the form of packaging material and transportation, to the various industries engaged in manufacturing essential items like sanitizers, masks, food items, pharmaceuticals, she added. 

Image Credits: ANI