Inmates in T'gana prisons join battle against COVID-19,produce

masks, sanitisers

Hyderabad, Apr 13 () As the nation combats the dreadedCOVID-19 pandemic, with increasing number of cases a cause forconcern, inmates of prisons in Telangana are doing their bitto help, making thousands of masks and sanitisers for doctors,policemen, health workers and others in the frontline.

With increasing demand from health professionals andthose in the field, as also from government departments andInformation Technology firms, the Central Prisons and districtjails in the state have ramped up manufacturing and supply ofthese items, officials said.

An added bonus is that the face masks are washable andreusable.

Both the masks and sanitisers are priced lower thanproducts available in the market, they said.

The Telangana Prisons Department sells these productsunder the 'My Nation' brand and has also come out with aHealth and Hygiene kit, comprising washable masks, handsanitisers, handwash, bath soaps and phenyl, they said.

The inmates were trained by chemists on how to makesanitisers, while professional tailors at the prisons taughtthem how to stitch the masks.

"We did not have any prior exposure in manufacturing facemasks and hand sanitisers, but in view of the crisis(coronavirus outbreak) we took the initiative by training theinmates," the official told P T I.

Around 9,000 face masks and 3,000 litres of sanitiser arebeing produced every day at Chanchalguda and Cherlapallycentral prisons in Hyderabad and other district jails, theofficial said.

The Prisons Department supplies the finished products tomedical and health department personnel, police, powerutilities and postal staff, among other government agencies.

Various Public Sector Undertakings have also placed bulkorders with them.

In fact even before the lockdown was announced theinitial order for face masks came from some IT companies,the official said.

Such has been the demand that the Prisons Department hasnow deployed inmates exclusively for producing masks andsanitisers.

"As many as 50 inmates make 2,000 face masks every day atChanchalguda central prisons itself. We have on hand orders tosupply 60,000 face masks which are to be delivered by themonth end," an official at the Chanchalguda prison said.

From Chanchalguda central prison itself over 30,000facemasks and around 6,000 litres of sanitiser has been sold,the official added. VVK APR SS