COVID-19: After masks, prison inmates produce gowns for medicos

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10 () After boosting theproduction of face-masks to ward off coronavirus, thetailoring unit at the Central Prison here has startedmaking uniforms and gowns for doctors and para medicalpersonnel.

The prison, located at nearby Poojappura, has alreadyreceived an order from Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute forMedical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) for makinguniforms and gowns for their staff.

The hospital has placed an urgent order for 500 gowns.

"Since they have to treat emergency COVID-19 cases, thereis a rise in demand for gowns," Superintendent of CentralPrison, Poojappura, B Sunil Kumar said.

Giving a fillip to mask-making at the prison, top actorIndrans, himself a costume designer, visited the jail earlierthis week and demonstrated how to make that simple protectivedevice effortlessly.

While two prisoners are assigned the stitching of gowns,23 others are engaged in the production of masks.

"The material for uniforms, which are cotton and terrycotton fabric, and the model are provided by SCTIMST. So wewill be charging only for stitching, that too nominally," hesaid.

The Central Prison has already supplied a set of 25uniforms to them, and more are in the making, Kumar said.

"Though around 55 jails in the state are producing masksand sanitizers now, stitching of gowns for medical staff isour monopoly," the official said adding that if any hospitalscome forward with such a request in future, they would behappy to lap up the opportunity

Sanitisers, which has huge demand at present, is alsobeing produced at the Poojappura Central Prison.

They have procured 7,000 litres of spirit from the ExciseDepartment for producing sanitizers, for which pure spirit hasbeen used.

Rs 50 is being charged for 100 ml bottle and most of themwere purchased by the departments.

Production of all these items will go on at a steadypace, the Superintendent of the prison added. LGKROH ROH