India has become the world’s second-largest manufacturer of personal protective equipment (PPE) body coveralls amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the government, India has been able to achieve this rare feat within a short span of two months.

The Ministry of Textiles, in a statement, said that measures were taken to ensure that quality of the medical equipment is not compromised while heading for the targets in quantity.

It said that several steps were consciously taken like permitting only certified players across the supply chain to supply body coveralls which catapulted India into the world’s second-largest manufacturer of body coveralls, next only to China.

In another welcome move, Mumbai’s Textile Committee will now test and certify PPE body coveralls required for the doctors, healthcare workers and other COVID-19 warriors.

Amid the virus outbreak and a crippling healthcare system, it was a challenge to ensure the availability of quality PPE testing equipment through reputed and trusted domestic manufacturers.

‘We faced the humongous challenges of non-availability of domestic manufacturers of repute and incessant delay/long gestation period to import machine from China as also challenges of ever-increasing prices by the opportunist companies in China due to demand for such equipment the world over. We, therefore, decided to do it indigenously,’ he said.

At the time when the front line COVID-19 warriors are facing the concern of shortages of equipment, the increased production would help the country tide over the national crisis.

‘With the acquisition of this equipment and with a concrete plan to add some more equipment as per need, we will be able to address not only the quantitative but also the qualitative requirements involved in the testing of body coveralls worn by the frontline health workers and other COVID-19 warriors,’ he added.

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