THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With masks now made compulsory for anyone stepping out of their houses, people are relying mostly on cloth masks which are washable and reusable. Dr Anand S, district president of Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), had an idea to use medicinal plants to make these cloth masks comfortable for the users.
The talks led to the making of three-layer ‘Ayur Mask’ which is dipped in a mixture of turmeric, tulsi and other herbs used for inhalation in ayurveda for people with respiratory diseases. These masks are available in the store of the cooperative society of Ayurveda College and liaison office of AMAI near Ayurveda College. Ayurveda doctors can avail the masks at `30 a piece while it costs `35 a piece for the public.
“The cloth material is made in Balaramapuram handlooms. We have a few looms contributing to us. The cloth is dipped in a mixture of the medicinal plant extracts and later dried before being made into masks. The production is underway and almost 500 masks are made every day.
They will retain the medicinal properties for over four washes. Even after that, they can be used because of the quality of the cloth. The mask was received well by everyone. The demand is high. In the coming days, more masks will be available. Many Ayurveda doctors are already using it. We plan to supply it across the state. We are providing it to the doctors covering the production cost. The cost for the public also includes the transportation expense,” said Dr Leena C D, state vice-president, AMAI. The team behind ‘Ayur Mask’ also includes Dr Sadath Dinakar, Dr Abhilash N S, Dr Rahul S Kumar, Dr Anila R S and Dr Remya S M.