India is at a crucial juncture in the fight against COVID-19. While many other developed countries are struggling to contain the spread, India has reported 4067 cases as of today, which is just 0.3% of the global count. To put this number into context, the USA (which is the worst-hit country) accounts for 26.4% of the global count. The government is aggressively implementing containment measures, while the aspect of the dearth of safety gear for medical personnel is also being worked on.
DRDO, the countries research hub for defense equipment, has also been playing a crucial role in filling the gap for safety gear. The organization has been an integral part of the government’s COVID-19 plan, developing a number of vital items like masks, suits, sanitizers, and other safety equipment to meet the shortage. Now, Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), a DRDO laboratory, has come up with a sanitization chamber called Personnel Sanitization Enclosure. The chamber is a portable disinfectant cell equipped with a sanitizer and a soap dispenser and accommodates one person at a time.
The enclosure uses hypo sodium chloride as a disinfectant, which is sprayed using an electrically operated pump. The process goes on for 25 seconds, after which it automatically stops indicating the end of the cleansing process. The assembly also has a separate chamber for monitoring the operations. The chamber has been manufactured by DRDO in partnership with a Ghaziabad based firm, M/s Dass Hitachi Ltd. Being a portable cell, it can be installed at crucial places like entry and exit of hospitals, airports, and other similar places for disinfecting the staff and other frontline personnel.
Recently, DRDO had developed a bodysuit for the frontline staff dealing with COVID-19 patients. The suit is washable and costs Rs 7,000. Frontier Protective Wear Pvt Ltd, Kolkata and Medikit Pvt Ltd, Mumbai are producing 10,000 suits per day. The Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru, a DRDO lab, has also been working with a Mysore-based vendor Scanray Tech Pvt Ltd, to produce ventilators. The target for the first month is set at 5000 units, and 10,000 units subsequently. DRDO has also been working on more advanced N99 masks in partnership with Venus Industries Mumbai, and IMTEC Kolkata along with N95 masks that it was already producing.
Whether the lower number in India is due to lack of testing or good containment measures is a debate for ages. But one cannot deny the swiftness with which the Indian government has implemented certain measures, like the lockdown and restrictions. The onus now is certainly on the citizens now to behave responsibly and judiciously follow the guidelines to arrest the spread.
