Hyderabad doctor proposes prototype to reduce cost for procurement, usage of PPE in COVID-19 sample collection

A doctor here has come up with an idea claiming to reduce the cost for procurement and usage of personal protective equipment PPE during sample collection for COVID-19.

Speaking to ANI, Dr. Sharath Sushanth Reddy said, "I have come up with an idea to reduce the cost for procurement and usage of PPE during Sample collection from suspected COVID-19 patients at hospitals. The prototype I propose is a two-cabin model. One for the doctor and the other for the patient. The doctor will do a sample collection from two outlets through gloves. So, the only medical equipment that can be changed will be gloves. Once the collection is done the patient cabin to be effectively sanitized. This way usage of PPE can be significantly reduced."

"We all are aware of the recent pandemic of COVID-19. The Indian government announced lockdown to battle the virus for 21 days and its a very good initiative but lockdown alone does not help in fighting the virus in a country like India with 133 crore population. We need to identify all the people who have been exposed to it," Reddy said.

Reddy further said, "Here we come up a model aimed at saving lives of the medical staff and assuring them a safe environment."

"Right now, only people who are approaching hospitals with symptoms are being tested. Our aim is to reach out to the masses at least to the people in red zones. So we have come up with these MOBILE testing centres," Reddy said.

The doctor said, "It is a cost-efficient and quick procedure with huge potential to test people on a large scale as our country does not have enough resources as the USA and other developed nations."

"We need to test efficiently because proper stats gives us an idea about how to tackle it from the grass-root level. This method also saves PPE kits for testing purpose and we can use them in necessary and requisite areas," the doctor added.