Hyderabad: "We are in the midst of a war. A war with an invisible enemy. Weapons are enough to fight with a real enemy. But this virus is invisible to the eye. The Defense Research and Development Organization is arming itself with the technology to fight this enemy”, said G Satheesh Reddy, DRDO Chairman and an advisor to the Ministry of Defense.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, he explained the efforts of DRDO to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the role of DRDO in containing the virus?
The virus is an invisible enemy. We are playing a key role in containing it. Many products are in the process of coming into immediate effect. Some of them are at the manufacturing stage.
When will the masks, sanitizers and ventilators be available?
Masks and sanitizers are being produced in full capacity. In the first phase, we are giving them to the Telangana government. The ventilator samples were approved by the Center and private companies are manufacturing them.
Since the DRDO has experience in producing nutritious food, what arrangements are being made for the COVID-19 victims?
We are stocking up and preserving ready-made foods in case of any food shortage in the future. The WHO has warned a few countries about the possibility of food scarcity. India is not among those countries.
How many ventilators are manufactured? Do you have any plans of exporting them?
The number of people infected by the virus and the need for ventilators will be estimated by healthcare experts. We are manufacturing according to those estimates. If we want to contribute to those nations suffering from a shortage of ventilators, the Center can take a call accordingly.
How many ventilators are made per day? What is the total cost?
About 30,000 per week. One batch will arrive this week. We will increase production in the coming weeks. Each ventilator costs up to Rs. 4,00,000.
Is DRDO partnered in discovering a vaccine or cure for COVID-19?
We are working in close collaboration with medical scientists to provide healthcare services to the armed forces in times of distress.
What measures are you taking to protect the armed forces and healthcare workers?
We have given a full supply of masks and sanitizers to the armed personnel and medical workers. We have already alerted the military doctors.
When will the doctors and medical staff get their protective gears?
We have prepared two highly efficient gear models. The expert panel has also approved them on an immediate basis. Each gear costs about Rs. 8,000. Around 1,50,000 protective gears will be manufactured within a week.
The DRDO scientists have designed a bio-suit for doctors and paramedical staff dealing with COVID-19 patients. Officials explained that researchers from several laboratories of the organization were involved in this process. The suit is also known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In view of its demand, arrangements are being made to manufacture 15,000 PPE per day. Due to the severe shortage of PPE, the Indian government is planning to import them. Scientists from various laboratories in DRDO have developed a bio-suit using their expertise in textiles, coating and Nanotechnology.
The Ministry of Defense in an advertisement said that this bio-suit was extensively tested. In fact, the shortage of seam-sealing tapes has hindered the bio-suit production. DRDO has overcome this shortage by creating a special sealant based on the material used for submarines. In addition, 1.5 lakh litres of sanitizers are being supplied to various defence agencies in the country. Arrangements are underway to produce N95 masks on a war footing basis. The DRDO officials said that they had already supplied 10,000 masks and that they will soon scale up to produce 20,000 masks per day.
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