Supply of Body Coveralls for health professionals from indigenous manufacturers begins

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The supply of Body Coveralls from indigenous manufacturers according the MoH&FW’s revised technical requirement dated March 2, 2020, for healthcare professionals dealing COVID-19 cases has  commenced, according to Textile Ministry.

The Textile Ministry on March 23, 2020, said it is unfortunate that certain sections of the media are spreading misinformation on the efforts of the Government in augmenting the supplies of Body Coveralls, N-95 Masks, and 2-ply/3-ply Surgical Masks required for healthcare professionals dealing COVID-19 cases. Since Body Coveralls (PPE) is a specialised protective suit meant for high level of protection to the health professionals, it has stringent technical requirements as prescribed by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Over the last 45 days, Ministries of Health & Family Welfare and Textiles are attempting to locate adequate number of sources who can produce and supply the requirement of Body Coveralls for the government. During the last week of January 2020, the technical standard for the Coveralls was prescribed as per WHO class-3 exposure pressure in accordance with  ISO 16003 or its equivalent. Such materials are manufactured by a few international companies, who expressed their inability to supply on account of a complete glut in stocks and ban on exports by the source countries. Only a limited quantity was offered and procured by the procurement organisation of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Starting from January 30, 2020, wide outreach has been attempted through various meetings and interactions with the Chambers of Commerce, various  Textiles Associations, medical textiles manufacturers and suppliers; in inviting a higher participation of the such manufacturers having adequate capacity to partner with the government and offer their proto-types for testing.

M/s HLL Lifecare Limited is the designated single-window procurement agency for the hospitals and healthcare organisations under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Five indigenous manufacturers came forward and offered fabric proto-types for testing at the accredited laboratory of South India Textiles Research Association (SITRA) at Coimbatore. All these attempts were directed at indigenous development of manufacturing sources as international supplies could not be possible. The testing was done at SITRA between February 2 to February 25, 2020, and the results of the fabric samples were referred to the technical experts to consider and decide on the technical requirements for COVID-19, considering the information on nature and characteristics of SARS-COVID-2 virus known by to the medical experts.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare finalised the technical requirement on March 2, 2020, based on the indigenous availability of materials and the technical requirement for a high level of protection of the healthcare professionals  in consultation with medical experts in the field. The specification was published on the official website of HLL Lifecare Ltd on March 5, 2020, inviting manufacturers having adequate capability to participate in the procurement process.

So far, proto type garments of six Indian manufacturers have passed the prescribed tests conducted at SITRA, and two more manufacturers are forthcoming as on date. In addition, more and more manufacturers have been invited to offer their proto type samples, and come forward to meet the requirement of the government, according to a PIB release