In the midst of the world’s biggest health crisis which has paralyzed the globe and held us hostage in our homes, healthcare workers are working on the frontline striving to keep us alive. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is crucial in their battle against the deadly virus. Rising demand, hoarding, misuse, and panic buying has contributed to the shortage of PPE, which has resulted in an increasing number of infected healthcare workers. If we cannot protect the only ones who can protect us then a total collapse of the healthcare system is inevitable. PPE has played a significant role in the containment and treatment of the virus globally.
In times of collective distress, we must come together and help those most vulnerable. The pandemic has been wreaking havoc in Europe and North America wherein private manufacturers across various industries have stepped up to manufacture different essential items. Luxury brands such as Gucci and Prada and fast fashion brands such as Zara and H&M have committed to producing face masks, Apple will produce face shields, LVMH is producing hand sanitizer, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team is making CPAP machines, and the list is endless.
Indians pride themselves on their ability to come up with innovative low-cost solutions, why should we not utilize our capabilities and resources to the optimum? We believe if the right stakeholders band together, we can come up with feasible solutions that can help save the lives of hundreds of thousands.
What do we think can be done?
1. Diverting existing companies for manufacturing PPEs: Eyewear and helmet companies can produce face shields and goggles. Studds has already commenced production of the same. Textile and garment companies can produce face masks, coveralls, gloves, head covers, and shoe covers.
2. Logistical Assistance: Manufacturers and distributors are facing issues in acquiring raw materials and supplying finished products across the country owing to lockdown. Logistical companies can provide expert knowledge and streamline processes to tackle the crisis. We are grateful to Delhivery and Ecom Express who are giving logistics support to us in these hard times.
These are only a handful of solutions that came to our minds. We are eager to hear your suggestions to figure out a way to help out our health workers in the best way possible.
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This article is written by Maitrai Agarwal. She is a Research Fellow at G2 Chambers.