Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), whose trauma centre has been converted into a Covid-19 hospital, has started producing personal protective equipment (PPE), but doctors are not too certain of their efficacy.

A RIMS official said the PPE had been designed by a section of doctors in the surgery department, medical superintendent Dr Vivek Kashyap and Dr Sanjay Kumar of the forensic department.

“Tailors Vimal Kumar Verma and Pushpa Kumari are preparing the PPE on the basis of the design given to them by the doctors. By Tuesday evening, 10 PPE were prepared and tested. As many as 60 PPE are expected to be prepared every week,” the RIMS official said.

He said the PPE was cost-effective. “The production cost ranges between Rs 200 and Rs 300. The PPE also includes shoe cover and an attached cap,” the official said.

Assistant professor of the surgery department Dr Nishit Paul Ekka, also one of the members of the RIMS task force constituted to handle Covid-19, claimed the PPE had turned out to be quite useful. “It is made of waterproof material and is quite safe,” Ekka said when asked how safe the PPE was for doctors and nurses dealing with Covid-19 patients.

A paramedic at RIMS, however, said the PPE was not fit for those coming in close contact with Covid-19 patients.

“The PPE can’t shield one’s face and therefore is not safe for those who remain in close contact with patients,” the paramedic, who did not want to be quoted, said.

Dr Anant Sinha, an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (Pune) and director of Dev Kamal Hospital in Ranchi, supported the paramedic. ‘It is a a modified raincoat made of good quality tarpaulin. Using it for a long time will not be comfortable for the user.” Dr Sinha, however, lauded the effort. “The idea is not bad in the situation when PPE are in short supply in the state,” he added.

Dr Anand Verma, a noted orthopaedic surgeon, also agreed that it was not an ideal PPE.

“It is best for trolley men, sweepers and ward boys,” Verma said.