Factories go up to the occasion, be a part of hands to create PPE
Native production of personal protective equipment (PPE) gained momentum yesterday just after a joint initiative got approval from the federal government about the look and fabrics on a development that would boost morale of medical pros fighting the coronavirus.
Five garment factories yesterday started producing the PPE in a joint initiative of Pay It Ahead, the Manush Manusher Jonno Foundation, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), British retail huge Marks & Spencer, the Arunachal Trust, and the Buet Alumni Association.
The initiative got an approval from the Directorate Basic of Health Offerings (DGHS) to help make the PPE, Navidul Huq, a coordinator of the initiative from the BGMEA, said.
"We will be hopeful that we can begin distribution of the PPE to hospitals for doctors and nurses from Saturday. We may also distribute the things to additional organisations and individuals slowly but surely," stated Mohammad Wahid Hossain, executive chairman of Pay out It Forward.
"Initially, we will manufacture 50,000 parts. We will distribute every one of them cost free," he advised The Daily Superstar by phone.
The initiative plans to create at least five lakh pieces of PPE.
The five factories are: Urmi Group, Snowtex, Aman Group, Dekko Group and Smartex Group.
Urmi Group said it would not make any benefit from building the PPE because persons demand the safety gears urgently. It will only take fabric demand as it will possess to buy the recycleables, said its Handling Director Asif Ashraf.
Snowtex, another leading garment exporter, said it started making PPE yesterday.
"I'll produce 50,000 portions initially," explained SM Khaled, managing director of the company.
"Of the quantity, I'll distribute 17,000 portions cost free," he explained, adding that he'd not make any benefit from making the PPE.
There is a large amount of work orders from companies and organisations to help make the PPE. Banks and hospitals have already located orders with Snowtex, said Khaled.
The production cost is just about Tk 600 per PPE, Huq said, adding a team from the BGMEA is coordinating the production and distribution of the PPE.
From in a few days, at least eight even more factories will join your time and effort in making PPE, according to Huq.
In Chattogram, Smart Jacket (BD) Ltd, a supplier in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone, is building one lakh models of surgical jackets for doctors to combat the coronavirus after receiving orders from medical ministry.
The company, a problem of Smart Band of Industries, had ready components of 50,000 sets of surgical jackets in its stock and it delivered the things to the federal government on Tuesday afternoon.
Another 20,000 sets of jackets, made by the business's 2,000 personnel within a day time, were sent to Dhaka through three trucks yesterday, officials said.
"We regularly manufacture medical jackets for a great American buyer. Medical ministry on Monday asked us to create one lakh sets and after acquiring the buy, we delivered 50,000 pieces," Mujibur Rahman, a director of the business, told The Daily Celebrity.
"Our workers are very happy to have the ability to donate to the country in this crucial instant," he said, adding that factory workers are also interested to work possibly several shifts if needed.
Shahana Khatun, an employee of the factory, said, "We've so far worked for foreign purchasers which will benefit our nation indirectly. Now, it appears like I'm doing work for my country and it will probably save thousands of men and women from coronavirus. It's a different feeling."
Medical ministry has asked Smart Jacket (BD) to create as much jackets as possible, Rahman said.
"We are not worried about the profit for this consignment since it can be an urgent need for the united states," he explained, adding that the health ministry guaranteed it of bearing the production cost.
As of Monday, there have been around 2 lakh PPEs in inventory and the consignment of another 2 lakh PPEs, procured from different countries, would arrive this month, said Health insurance and Family group Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque.
The ministry is distributing 20,000 to 30,000 PPEs a time to hospitals across the countries.
As the number of individuals dying from the deadly virus rose, the government has taken steps to get ready the country's health professionals to tackle it.
The National Plank of Revenue has withdrawn all types of import duties and taxes to inspire quick import of PPEs, recycleables found in hand sanitisers, coronavirus testing kits and re-agents.
Health workers want PPEs because if indeed they don't wear the gears they are in increased risk of receiving infected by the virus and spreading it to other clients.
Health employees' demand for PPE rose sharply following the first Covid-19 case was confirmed found in the country.
Many public hospitals across the country set up isolation units for possible coronavirus patients nevertheless they had a dearth of important resources and equipment. Due to this fact, doctors, nurses and medical center staffers were finding it hard to preserve working, experts say.
