I strongly suggest everyone to wear home made masks and ensure medical professionals, civil servants, municipality workers and others adequate supply of medical masks and equipment.

A sense of alarm

There is a sense of alarm among healthcare professionals across India as the country waits for what many believe will be a tsunami of coronavirus cases.

Many medical professionals are deeply concerned over shortages of protective health supplies, such as masks, gloves and coveralls, known as personal protective equipment (PPE).

The government is planning to procure more PPE domestically and was also exploring imports from South Korea and China.

The doctors think about their spouses and kids'

Below is one of the doctor’s words in an article-

An ambulance driver showed up at a hospital with no protective gear. He wanted to give him coveralls and a mask but was unable to, since he did not have enough for himself. 

"If I can't even make sure of the safety of the health workers, how can I ask them to do their work?" he asked.

Many doctors and medical professionals were anxious about the situation. The doctors are also human beings. They will read about death of healthcare workers in China or Italy or UK, and fear starts making a way into their consciousness. They think about their spouse and kids at home."

Experts are blaming the current shortage of PPE on government mismanagement.

The Health Ministry would require more than 700,000 PPE, six million N-95 masks and 10 million 3-ply masks until the end of May.

As we all know that corona virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets and we should wear face masks to contain the spread of this. Now there are severe shortages of these masks and it is each and everyone’s responsibility to make do with normal cloth masks and leave left over stocks of the N-95 masks to the medical professionals, support staff and to other emergency workers.

The government is already planning to import PPE from other countries and as there is a scare that the number of Covid-19 cases might increase in the best interest of all we should use the protective equipment judiciously.

Here are a few numbers on how the situation is grave-

Days after the Aam Aadmi Party government asked the Union government to provide 50,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for the protection of the healthcare workers engaged with Covid-19 patients, the central government allotted 27,000 sets of the protective gear. Sources said these PPE kits would meet requirements for 9-10 days

Government officials said the Centre has sent the PPE for disinfection to Defence Research and Development Organization and would be available at the state-run hospitals in a day or two.

Each PPE kit comprises- 

• Surgeon’s gown, 
• Face mask,
• Gloves,
• Preventive Eyewear,
• Hood Cap and,
• Shoe Covers

           

I’ve recently been to a grocery store and by chance had a conversation with a police guard. In our discussion I came to know that none of their staff had these N-95 masks and hand sanitizers. All these people are keeping their families on the line, working for us and they do not have proper equipment to safeguard themselves.

As the police staff, civil servants, municipality workers, medical professionals, support staff will be in regular interaction with the general public they should be handed over the equipment first and then we should use them. 

All these people are using their handkerchiefs as face masks. The situation is very critical and we need to be responsible and see how best we can support the medical professionals, bureaucrats and others in the fight against Covid-19.

I’ve seen many of them donating the essential food items to the people. My suggestion to everyone who is doing this- the government is also helping the needy by distributing the food grains and other stuff. So, we all can think a bit differently and do something for all these guys by donating them the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

My advice to the people is to think a bit on how to deal with the current scenario rather than anxious buying. Below is a link on how we can make a face mask by ourselves at home, follow this.

Face mask: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smjeqviDCBY&feature=youtu.be

When you wear a face mask it should be in such a way that, when you blow a candle it shouldn’t turn off. That is the basic criteria one should have in mind when they are making a face mask at home and then wearing it

We are all in it together!

PK-

PK Enterprises