Government hospitals that are looking for protective equipment that includes N-95 masks have been told that it will take a minimum of a month for protective gear to be delivered, The Times of India reported on Monday.
According to that report, HLL Lifecare, the public sector unit that is the central procurement agency for the government, has admitted that the long time period is due to to not just shortage of raw materials, but also the current transport situation amid the 21-day lockdown period.
Several medical facilities across the country have already red flagged the lack of protective gear in hospitals, given the situation. Junior doctors at Rohtak in Haryana, Tamil Nadu, as well as Bihar have lamented on their situation, saying that nobody is hearing their plight.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week called for a 21-day lockdown period, asking people not to step out of their homes amid the coronavirus outbreak. Since his announcement, most of the country has stayed indoors, and this has affected a lot of industries. Roads and highways have also stayed empty due to the outbreak.
