Personal protective equipment (PPE), the essential gear for health workers treating COVID-19 patients, may be short in supply elsewhere in the world, but the scenario is entirely different at the government Medical College Hospital Kannur in Kerala.
The current PPE stock at the hospital, which treats scores of patients from the COVID-19 hotspots of Kasaragod and Kannur districts, is enough to last over a month. Nonetheless, the stock gets replenished every week.
This is happening at a time when medical professionals are raising concerns over the shortage of protective gear. Doctors in several hospitals in India are worried about their safety as the country hunkers down in wait for a spike in COVID-19 cases. In the United States, shortage of the gear forced doctors and nurses to launch a social media campaign #GetMePPE.
With its timely action, the Kannur hospital showed the world that the fight against COVID-19 would not succeed without ensuring the safety of the frontline health workers.
The hospital would have faced a shortage of PPE had it relied only on the state health department supply. What made the difference was the hospital's decision to collaborate with a small scale surgical care manufacturing unit. The unit produces the kits adhering to the strict quality guidelines laid out by the hospital authorities.
This is the result of meticulous planning, lengthy discussions and fine tuning, say doctors.
Shortage of kits would have resulted in a catastrophe as the hospital handles scores of symptomatic and infected persons from Kannur and Kasaragod, the two COVID-19 hotspots in the state.
The hospital has treated 29 COVID-19 patients so far. Fifteen persons have been discharged after being cured of the disease. One person died of the infection while the remaining 13 are being treated at the hospital.
The hospital authorities are now earmarking more bed space, anticipating another wave of virus attack.
Game changer
Doctors said the game changer was COVID-19 Cell's decision to work with a local firm to manufacture PPE kit. The COVID-19 Cell, comprising 10 senior doctors, was formed when the number of positive coronavirus cases began to rise in the state.
At their first meeting, the doctors noted the severe shortage of PPE and decided to procure as many kits as possible.
"The shortage forced us to look for other options," said oncologist Dr K C Arifa, who is a member of the COVID-19 Cell.
"Our resolve was that no frontline health worker would be allowed to fall prey to the coronavirus. For, we know that the whole system will collapse if they get infection. We took the decision to source more PPE even before the first corona suspect person arrived at the hospital,” she said.
The search
The doctors contacted PPE manufacturers in Coimbatore and New Delhi only to realise the huge demand for the outfit across the country. They even made a vain attempt to source the gear from China.
Failed attempts forced the doctors to look at local level. They contacted the design and technical colleges in Kannur district, but none of them had the wherewithal for bulk PPE production.
The scouting continued until they got in touch with a small scale surgical product manufacturing unit near the hospital.
"The doctors visited the facility, briefed the production team about the requirement and gave them model design," Arifa said.
The design was fine-tuned many times before starting the PPE production in the first week of March.
"Everything went really fast and we could start production in less than a week. The team got solid support from Hospital Superintendent Dr K Sudeep and Medical College Principal Dr N Roy," she said.
Importance of PPE
Each PPE kit has goggles, face-shield, mask, gloves, coverall or gowns (with or without aprons), head cover and shoe cover.
Face shield and goggles protect mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth; masks protect the airway from the particulate matter generated by droplets and aerosols; gloves prevent infection via contact; coverall protects torso from virus exposure to virus.
The daily PPE requirement at the hospital is between 100 and 150.
Cost-effective
The PPE kits used at the hospital are cheaper than those sourced from outside.
The hospital spends Rs 450 to purchase one kit as against the normal market price of Rs 1,200.
"Price is another huge attraction of the locally made PPE kit," Arifa said.
Acceptance
Doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, cleaning staff and security personnel said they are happy to get PPE without any difficulty.
"We never faced PPE shortage. We couldn't manage without it since we treat many patients from COVID-19 hotspots of Kasaragod and Kannur districts," said hospital's nursing superintendent Rosamma.
Another nurse (name withheld to protect identity) said the PPE kit gives a huge sense of protection. "Health workers in the United States and other parts of the world are crying out for PPE. But we never had to raise our voice for the kits. It is a blessing. I am proud to say that I am working at this hospital," she said.
