*Representational image

Faced with fund crunch and Covid - 19 virus threat, the civil servants are struggling to contain it.

More, in view of safety of the health service providers and their genuine demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, the industry of the state has presented a cost-effective protective gear and protective face masks.No joke this.

In fact, the Ranchi district administration led by its Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray, IAS, is learnt to be currently helping local industry to produce two types of protective gear. One is made of 90GSM Tarpaulin plastic.

It is considered reusable after a wash. The other is made of 50 GSM LDPE. It can be disposed of after a single-use, claims a government official.

Currently, it is being manufactured in the district’s textile factories like Arvind Mills, Orient Crafts and Asha Enterprises. The production is currently at 100 units per day."The production dependent on demand will be scaled up in the coming days", said another officer of the district.

Notably, this cost-effective Tarpaulin protective gear kit can be dipped in hypochlorite solution for the standard half-hour autoclave.

"These kits are now being utilized by frontline health workers going in for contact testing several times", said Ram Chuvash Singh, a clerk.

The manufacturing cost involved in each such kit is merely Rs 300. It is one of the cost-effective solutions in times of the COVID-19 outbreak in Jharkhand.

Also, 50 kits have also been sent to district administrations in East Singhbhum and Pakur.

So.  solving to a great extent a crisis of PPE equipment that has risen due to lack of quality and cost-effective products immediately. The LDPE variant is priced at Rs 150 and is disposable in nature.

The Ranchi Administration has also developed a face sheet or visor. It covers the face above a mask as an additional protection layer, available in the market at Rs 50/piece for less than Rs 5/unit.

More importantly, it is reusable after sterilization. This is made by 'Sakhi Mandal' of the district. This Mandal product will be sold at Rs 7/unit with Rs 2 going towards the rural women involved in its manufacture. 

At a time when frontline workers stepping out in quarantine or isolation zones are at an all-time high risk with lack of proper PPE, these solutions, tailor-made for the pandemic is showing the way forward, it is learnt.

What is heartening is that Rai Mahimapat Ray led Ranchi district administration plans to increase the production of these kits in the days to come to combat the shortage of PPE kits within the district and outside it.

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