Inside a PPE mandi in Delhi... | Delhi News

When a demand arises, Delhi traders are ever ready to rush in with supplies, even if there is the proverbial Indian jugaad involved. Bhagirath Palace, the hub of electrical and electronic knick-knacks in old Delhi, has transformed, in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, into the capital’s ‘PPE mandi’. Most of the shop owners there have diversified from selling lights and bulbs to joining the surgical stores in selling the much-in-demand personal protection medical kits. The surgical equipment market at Bhagirath Palace was already booking windfall profits through the sudden demand for safeguards against the invidious coronavirus. The owners of the electronic shops were prompt to cash in and now sell PPE suits at Rs 150-200 apiece, masks for Rs 2-80, hand sanitisers for Rs 15-20 per 50 ml bottle and gloves for Rs 3.50-10. 76069172These are admirably affordable prices. But their quality is a medical risk. The material in the suits looks incapable of bearing strain, stitching is weak and elastic band for securing the sleeves and heads covers and seam taping are missing — all mandatory under the guidelines for the products issued by the Union health ministry.PPE coveralls are normally made from high-density polyethylene, non-woven fabric that allows heat and sweat to wick while preventing liquids and aerosols from penetrating it. Usually the suits use a combination of 70% non-woven fabric and 30% fillers. The products at Bhagirath Palace don’t meet these norms. Simply put, the crucial protective suit against coronavirus is compromised by using non-woven fabric meant for manufacture of carry bags, not medical suits. Chances of the material tearing and extraneous matter getting past it are high. When TOI visited the market on May 25, it saw these kits being sold unsealed, therefore suspect. How little these new sellers know about the protocols of selling such products is evident at a temporary stall set up on a staircase. A PPE kit with all five components — body suit, face mask, gloves and covers for head and shoes — was priced at Rs 150. The eager shopkeeper said, “No one cares about the quality, but if you want I can open one for you to see.” And to press his case, he began unsealing a set, “for you to check the size”, as he amiably put it. 76069838There were some PPE kits in sealed packaging selling for Rs 350. “These are free size and anyone can wear it,” smiled a stall owner. They may be costlier, but the price does not guarantee integrity. According to Sanjeev Rehlan, chairman, Preventive Wear Manufacturers Association of India, “Coveralls, masks, gloves, etc, must be manufactured in different sizes or types. Also, the average price of a PPE suit is Rs 635 plus GST as per a government procuring agency, but many are selling these for even Rs 200.” A shopkeeper, whose main business is selling decorative lights, said that when the demand for electrical accessories plunged due to the lockdown, he started selling quality medical items. “Initially I stocked highgrade products, but nobody was prepared to pay more because there were cheaper alternatives around,” he told TOI. “I had to stock affordable stuff, like the double-layer mask I ordered today. I get 100 of those for Rs 330 and sell them at Rs 3.50 apiece. medium76065739Rehlan said the problem of inferior products can be attributed to the lack of national standards and absence of quality control. “As of now, we have only the Union health ministry’s guidelines to go by. These say that a PPE kit should pass the synthetic blood penetration test on a prototype sample,” Rehlan said. “This means it suffices to have the manufacturer test only a single piece and it is up to the buyer to accept that quality. Due to this absence of clear-cut regulations, people are manufacturing and selling protective gear with impunity.” Dr Vinod Monga, chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India, warned of the dangers of such low-grade items. “The single-layered and double-layered masks hardly serve the purpose they are meant for,” he said. “As far as the government is concerned, it takes the precautionary step of checking quality through nominated laboratories before the stuff is supplied to hospitals. So, perhaps it is the responsibility of non medical customers to be more alert when buying such stuff.” 76070429Monga wished for Indian Council for Medical Research, the national vetting agency, to issue guidelines for manufacture and supply of protective equipment. Until that happens, Bhagirath Palace will revel in its cheap, ineffective products and, dangerously, give buyers a false sense of security.boxcontent medium76071438What to look out for The PPE suits should be sealed properly and not temporarily packedThe suit should be made of 70% polymerA normal PPE suit will cost around Rs 700It is advisable to buy the PPE suit from a licensed shopPhotos: Rajesh Mehta