Over 1 lakh PPE kits, N95 masks manufactured daily: Health Ministry

The Health Ministry in a high-level meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 said that domestic manufactures, which were identified earlier, have already started the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, face masks etc., and adequate quantity of the same is available now.

"As on date, more than 1 lakh PPE kits and N95 masks are being manufactured everyday in the country. There are at present 104 domestic manufactures of PPE kits while three manufacturers are making N95 masks in the country. In addition, production of ventilators vide domestic manufacturers has also started and orders have been placed for more than 59,000 units through nine manufacturers," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, the death rate from coronavirus is around 3.1 per cent while the recovery rate is more than 20 per cent, which is comparatively better than most other countries and this could be construed as a positive effect of the lockdown in the country along with the cluster management and containment strategy.

"The average doubling rate in India is 9.1 days as of now. So far 5,062 people have been cured with a recovery rate of 20.66 per cent. Since Friday, 1,429 new cases have been reported. So far a total of 24,506 people have been confirmed positive for Covid-19," said the statement.

In response to query on the security of doctors and healthcare workers involved in the fight against Covid-19, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that in view of the urgent need for addressing the issues of stigma and discrimination of patients and also the healthcare workers combating Covid-19, an ordinance for the amendment of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 has been recently promulgated with very stringent provisions.

"This is not only their fight, but our collective effort. They are our frontline warriors and as a nation, let us not only respect their contributions, but also ensure that their safety and dignity are protected," he said.