As the Covid-19 cases surge, the acute shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) are putting the front-line health workers at risk of contracting the dreaded virus.

In these testing times, many big and small companies have joined the fight against the virus by reworking their production line to produce surgical equipment including PPEs, ventilators. This diversification has also ensured them to stay afloat.

One such company – Dhrithi Surgical Solutions Pvt Ltd – has started making PPE kits at its Belke plant in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district.

Sharath Kumar Shetty, the owner of the firm, told DH, “The healthcare professional are doing a commendable job in the fight against the Covid-19. Frontline health workers are at risk of contracting the virus. It is our duty to protect our saviours. Hence, we have started making PPEs without profit motive at our Belke plant.”

“The protective gear is priced at Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,600 per kit. A major portion of sale proceeds will given to our staff who are working overtime to meet the burgeoning demand for kits from the health departments of various districts in Karnataka and beyond,” Shetty said.

He added, “When we uploaded information about of product on the website of Prime Minsietr’s Office, the (PMO) assured us that it would help the company get raw materials, in case of any problems.”

Staff working overtime

The company has already supplied over 25,000 PPE kits to Bengaluru, Dharwad, Kalaburagi and coastal districts. Several other states have also placed orders with us for PPEs. We are facing a daunting task in meeting the demand, but our staff is up to it. We have taken necessary precautions and keep monitoring health of our staff, who are working overtime to meet demand for PPEs, at our Belke plant and Kundapur office, he added.