JOIN USCoronavirus: Shortage of PPEs prompts Kolkata hospital to set up tailoring unit on its premises
A private hospital in the city has set up a tailoring unit on its premises to stitch personal protective equipment (PPEs) for its doctors, nurses and support staff, amid a shortage in supply of masks, gloves and full body suits.
The four-member tailoring unit at Charnock Hospital in New Town area has sewed more than hundred protective suits from cotton sheets - primarily used for making surgical gowns.
"The decision to make PPEs on our own was taken after we found that private suppliers were having difficulties in delivering them on time. We didn't want to put pressure on the government by asking for protective gears," hospital managing director Prashant Sharma said.
The suits -- custom-made for the users - are soft, inexpensive and non-absorbent, he said.
"We have already distributed one pair of three-ply masks among the doctors and other medical staff. We are preparing the gears at least seven days in advance. Given the heat and humidity, each suit is made keeping the comfort factor in mind," Sharma explained.
The protective suits are re-useable, but we dispose them off after single use, he added.
Heaping praise on the tailors, a senior consultant at the hospital said, "The PPEs are durable and provide full body protection. I feel safe wearing them."
Another private hospital in the city -- earmarked for COVID-19 patients however, said it had been assured of a steady supply of protective gears by the government.
"We need 120 PPEs every day, along with N95 masks. We are sourcing some from our vendors, and the state government is also supporting us with suits and masks. We have been assured of a steady supply," a senior official at AMRI in Salt Lake said.