Most PPEs, N95 masks in Kerala fail SITRA test

KOCHI: There seems to be a sudden surge in manufacturers producing personal protection equipment (PPE) and N95 and three-layer masks without clearing proper quality tests, and government and private doctors in the state have raised concerns about the how this is endangering healthcare workers.


“The quality of PPE kits, including masks, is a matter of serious concern. We have raised the matter with CM and the government needs to look into it immediately,” said Dr Joseph Chacko, president, Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA).

KGMOA probed into the quality of PPE kits and masks, after a doctor in a health centre in Idukki was tested positive. They found issues in quality and quantity. Instead of three-layer masks, bad quality two-layer masks were supplied and this neither had water resistant outer layer nor innermost layer for absorption of droplet of the person wearing the mask. Also, many of the masks supplied as N95 masks were actually dust masks and the PPE kit was not of good quality, KGMOA found out.

“Before Covid-19 pandemic, we used to receive around five samples a week for testing. But since the disease outbreak in India, we are on a daily basis receiving around 70 to 80 samples per day, of which around 90% fail the quality test. Ensuring quality of PPE kits is crucial,” said Dr Prakash Vasudevan, director, South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore, that has been entrusted the task for testing and certification of the PPE kits by the central government.

Such is the supply rush that many PPE and mask sellers are directly contacting doctors. A private doctor who conducted a random study of 10 PPE sellers who contacted him found that most of them didn’t have experience in making PPE. They were either winter hosiery makers from North India or textile makers from Coimbatore or Tirupur. Though selling at a much cheaper price, 80% of them did not know anything about the specifications of the material they were using.

While in government hospitals, the PPE kit is supplied by the government through HLL and Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL), in private hospitals it is provided by the management.