Mushira Ashraf, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Humza Shaikh is an engineer by profession but the current healthcare crisis in India due to COVID-19 pandemic inspired him to manufacture Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the dire need of which is seen all across the country.
With his start-up CHMI Indobionics started in 2017, Shaikh came up with the initiative to manufacture PPE’s by engaging around 4000 skilled and 1000 unskilled migrant labourers in the manufacturing process.
After it’s certification, the team started its first batch of production on 25 March.
“By the end of April, we finished the production of 50,000 PPE’s at our leased out manufacturing plants in Bombay, Kolkata and Bangalore,” Shaikh told TwoCircles.net.
Seeing the health care crisis across India, the team also ventured into making ventilators, which is under clinical trial. “We are planned to launch it soon after the certification process is over,” Shaikh said.
Shaikh claimed that its a unique ICU ventilator with all the required specifications. “It is an invasive product which works in coherence with the human body. The cost of this ventilator is between 1.5 to 2 lakh rupees which is comparatively very less than the traditional ventilator which costs 10-15 lakhs,” he said.
According to Shaikh, most of the labourers working with them were taken out of the rehabilitation camps and been provided with lodging and boarding facilities.
“We have ensured their safety and meals are provided and proper care is being taken with the implementation of social distancing norms and hygienic sanitation facilities,” he said.
The team led by Shaikh, have been catering to Sai Hospital and Municipal Hospital in Bombay, Rashtra Chemical Fertilisers in Ali Bagh and Indian Army in Guwahati.
The team has also been working with West Bengal government to provide them PPE’s and look forward to work with the states of Orissa and Karnataka.
The project which includes the collaboration of 3 start-ups is incubated in the central universities across India including the IIM’s and IIT’s. The project is funded by the science and technology department, Government of India and further aims to work constructively amid pandemic.