PPE Shortage: Demand for Hazmat Suits Rises in Telangana

The supply of personal protective equipment has become a cause for concern in Telangana.

Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: The Quint)

The supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers has become a cause for concern in Telangana, with the state’s reported stock of approximately 8,000 disposable PPEs or hazmat suits of which 800 are disposed of after use daily.

According to a report in The Times of India, a recent incident where a patient’s family attacked an on-duty doctor at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad has worried the staff.

Cops are reportedly not given hazmat suits, but only masks and sanitizers. “Our men wanted to go into the corona ward and take the attacker into custody. We didn’t have any hazmat suit or PPE. After pleading with hospital staff, we were finally given 10 after which we entered the ward and brought the situation under control,” a senior police official reportedly said.

Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Dr P Sravan Kumar reportedly said that with an increase in the number of patients, the requirement has gone up. At present, there are eight local manufacturing units that turn out some 1000-1500 suits per day.

Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMIDC) Managing Director Chandrasekhar Reddy said that although supply and demand do not match right now, there is no shortage.

“Due to the lockdown, suppliers have been hit. By Friday, we will get 5,000 more PPEs in addition to the 7,000 to 8,000 we have currently. The aim is to increase stocks of PPE to 50,000. Other department staff don’t need these suits. But due to fear, they are demanding them,” he reportedly said.

(With inputs from The Times of India)