Gujarat units churning out N-95 masks and PPE required to fight Covid19

Gandhinagar, Saturday: Even as the production of Ventilators crucial for novel corona virus COVID-19 began at Rajkot-based Jyoti CNC after successful completion of necessary tests, the Gujarat government encouraged production of other Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for the medical staff at two facilities in Gujarat.

Giving details of the Gujarat Government’s initiative to meet the huge demand for N-95 masks necessary for self safety of doctors and other staff attending on COVID-19 patients and spread of the highly contagious virus, Chief Minister’s Secretary Ashwini Kumar said that Ahmedabad-based Arvind Mills and Vadodara-based Sure Safety are soon starting production.

He said that Cellulose Products at Changodar near Ahmedabad is producing 25,000 masks per day in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur. He exuded confidence that the PPEs produced in India as per the national policy of Make in India would meet the demand of not only Gujarat but also other states.

Referring to the sudden increase in the demand for isolation wards for suspected cases of COVID-19, he said that the four biggest cities in the state already have such hospitals dedicated to COVID-19 cases.

Rupani directed the administration to set up 100-bed COVID-19 Hospitals on a war-footing in each of all the remaining 29 district headquarters in the state, withing 4-5 days, under the guidance of three senior officers, headed by Additional Chief Secretary for Forest & Environment Rajiv Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretaries J. P. Gupta and Mukesh Kumar.

Giving details of the distribution of essential commodities on the 13th day of the 21-day countrywide lockdown clamped to check spread of COVID-19, Ashwini Kumar said that 46-lakh litres of milk was distributed in the state on Monday as against total supply of 199-lakh litres milk, 65,327 quintal vegetables and 14,017 fruits.

Similarly, 40,000 safai kamdars were engaged in door-to-door collection of garbage and sweeping roads in 1,406 wards in 8 (eight) municipal corporations and 162 nagarpalikas in the state.

Permits were issued to 867 super markets and 3,511 vehicles to ferry goods for home delivery, while 18,043 kirana grocery stores and 848 filing stations were functioning in the state.

Over 50.85-lakh food packets were distributed so far in collaboration with voluntary organisations to old and infirm, destitute and single persons.

– Information