Coronavirus outbreak: CSIR-CECRI working with the industry to scale up production of PPE, hand sanitisers

With an aim to contain the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Central Electrochemical Research Institute(CECRI) at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, has prepared series of lab-made Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The PPE include hand sanitiser solutions, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard, hand wash solutions using coconut oil and Sodium hypochlorite based disinfectant solutions.

These solutions were packed in containers, printed for instructions to use and distributed to the needy organisations free of cost.

So far, around 350 litres of hand sanitisers, 250 litres of hand wash solutions and 1000 litres of Hypo-disinfectants have been distributed.

The beneficiaries include Karaikudi Municipal Corporation, Devakottai Municipal Corporation, Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital, Govt.

Hospital, Karaikudi, SP office Sivaganga and other police stations in and around Karaikudi, Taluk office and nearby Panchayat Unions and primary health centres from Sakkottai, Kottaiyur, RS Pattinam, Nerkuppai, few nationalised banks etc.

CECRI plans to continue this distribution till the COVID-19 situation restores to normalcy.

CSIR-CECRI is now committed to arriving at a synergistically improved version of Face shield with antimicrobial efficiency within the shortest possible period and also this is also transferring the technology of one of the popular CSIR-CECRI technologies on the electrochemical synthesis of hypo-chlorite (Disinfectant), "This is transferred to an interested MSME for its mass production and supply as a disinfectant spray for its wider deployment in public places, hospitals", the DST said.

As per WHO standard, hand sanitiser should contain Isopropanol 75 per cent, Glycerol 1.45 per cent, Hydrogen peroxide 0.125 per cent plus lemongrass oil for fragrance.