No need to panic over availability of PPE: Health ministry

New Delhi: The Union health ministry on Thursday said there is no need to panic over the availability of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE), but stressed these should be used rationally.

Joint secretary at the health ministry Lav Agarwal said at the daily briefing that 20 companies are manufacturing PPE in India and orders for 1.7 crores PPE have already been placed with them.

Since Wednesday, 540 cases of the coronavirus infection and 17 deaths due to it have been reported, he said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India is 5,734 and 166 people have died due to the disease, he said.

According to an ICMR official, 1,30,000 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far in the country.

"No need to believe any rumor or have any fear regarding PPE. Our guidelines state that not only PPE should be made available, but they should be used rationally," Agarwal said

"It (PPE) should be used as per requirement, and as I have told you, I can use four N95 masks within a day, or I can use just one within a day. While the central government is augmenting supplies to the states, we are also requesting them to use them rationally," he said.

Orders for 49,000 ventilators have been placed and their supply is underway, Agarwal said and informed that 10 teams of COVID-19 specialists have been sent to nines states.

The official also said that the Indian Railways has produced about 6 lakh reusable face masks and over 4,000 liters of hand sanitizer.

It has also converted 3,250 coaches into COVID-19 isolation units with beds. A total of 5,000 coaches are to be converted, Agarwal said.

Read also: Government appeals to various industry bodies, manufacturers to streamline supply of Body Coveralls, N-95 Masks, other PPE for healthcare workers