

VIJAYAWADA: In a major relief to Krishna doctors fighting on the frontline against coronavirus, the district administration has entrusted the task of manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to a citybased firm. Diamond Medicare, which has its manufacturing facility at Netaji Colony, Madhura Nagar, has the capacity to manufacture 1,500 PPE kits per day.
So far, the firm has produced around 4,000 PPE kits and handed them over to the officials at the collector’s camp office. Speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, production manager S Shankar said the firm has been producing kits for various medical purposes and supplying them to hospitals in the city, as well as to the neighbouring states, for the past 15 years.
“A week ago, the district administration entrusted us with the task of manufacturing PPE kits for health workers involved in the treatment Covid-19 patients,” he added. The company official informed that the district administration was providing them the material required for the kits in bulk, considering its high demand among doctors, nurses and para-medical staff.
“Each kit is manufactured by following a standard protocol. It has a thickness of 60-90 gsm and is made of a nonwoven and water-resistant fabric. Each kit costs Rs 1,200 and consists of a dangri, a face shield, gloves, a mask, goggles and shoe covers. After its manufacturing, it is sterilised in a machine for eight hours so that it is virus-free before packing,” he said. Shankar noted each kit can be used for 8-12 hours after which they need to be disposed of.
Boost to Guntur’s sample testing capacity
The State government has added one more equipment to Guntur Medical College for the testing of
samples. Called ‘iFlash 1800’, it is expected to significantly increase the testing capacity of the virology lab in the hospital, which is currently examining 120 samples per day. College principal Dr G Subba Rao
said the instrument will be up and running within three days and that the testing of onesample would
take only half-anhour
1K beds ready for Covid fight in A’pur
Anantapur: Covid-19 Special Officer Vijayanand has said that medical treatment and other facilities are being provided to coronavirus positive patients as per the Covid-19 protocol and 1,000 beds in GGH and private hospitals have been kept ready for them. Addressing a press conference alon with district
collector Gandham Chandrudu here on Wednesday, Vijayanand said coronavirus patients were being admitted to Saveera Hospital and KIMS. Vijayanand said that 41 junior doctors of the GGH tested negative for coronavirus. The Special Officer said that tests are being conducted on 18 TrueNat machines
and the district is getting 500 cartridges soon. Vijayanand informed that so far 1,700 samples had been tested, of which 21 tested positive for coronavirus