In order to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country, Railways is planning to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including face masks and hand sanitisers on a large scale.
In fact, the national transporter has already manufactured hand sanitisers and masks at a low scale on a trial basis.
This was done at the Northern Railway carriage and wagons department in Firozpur where chemical and metallurgical unit officials produced hand sanitisers at a cost of Rs.310 per litre. The hand sanitiser reportedly carries the brand name ‘IR’.
According to a senior railway official, even though the masks produced by the Railways are not N95 masks, they are good enough for basic protection.
Moreover, Railways is also considering manufacturing ventilators and training its medical staff to effectively fight the outbreak.
