Supply protective gear to medical fraternity

India must secure those in the frontline of battling the disease

As India steps up its battle against the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), the medical fraternity — which is at the forefront of the battle — is facing an acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection. Several doctors took to social media to complain about the lack of PPE or their poor quality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently lauded doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, and all those who are in the frontlines; yet, India’s efforts to ensure that they remain safe fell short in the initial weeks of the pandemic.

That is why the government’s decision to ramp up the manufacture of PPES, efforts to source it from outside the country, and ensure its supply is important and laudable. Securing PPES is most critical, because without it, those who need to treat patients can get infected. According to an internal government note, accessed by Reuters, India needs at least 38 million masks and 6.2 million pieces of PPE. While the government has now contacted suppliers for PPES, reports said despite the World Health Organization’s guidelines on February 27, advising all countries to stockpile medical equipment, the export of protective gear like masks and gloves continued from India.

To be fair to the government, the shortage of PPE is a global problem. But the Centre must now ramp up its procurement of good quality PPES and make it available to the medical fraternity because, without them, this battle is lost. They are true warriors, and India owes it to them to ensure that everything is done to keep them safe.