The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been tracking the spread of Covid-19 since the first reports of its outbreak in China’s Wuhan province. It took a call in the first week of March to enhance efforts for creating counter-measures and creating a mass supply solution of critical medical requirements if Covid-19 became a crisis.
DRDO decided to focus on creating mass supply of items needed for the fight against the global pandemic COVID-19. So far four items have been readied and will be available for war against corona – critical care ventilators, personal protective equipment, advanced five-layer N-99 face masks and hand sanitizers.
Sanitizers and Masks
Hand sanitizer being the basic instrument against spread of COVID-19 has now been developed in-house at DRDO. By third week of March, it was produced in sizeable quantities and distributed to major offices and establishment within the capital. Approximately 4,000 litres of hand sanitizer had been provided to Indian Armed forces, Armed Forces Medical Corps, Defence Security Corps, 1,500 litres to Ministry of Defence, 300 litres to Parliament, and 500 litres to various security establishments and high offices to address sanitisation issue to keep administration work without fear of contamination.
With the Delhi Police (DP) working under difficult conditions to maintain law and order, DRDO provided 20,000 three-ply masks and 1,000 litres of hand sanitizers. In addition, DRDO distributed hand sanitizers to DP at about 40 nakas all around Delhi.
Initially a DRDO lab, Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior had produced approximately 20,000 litres to cater initial requirements of its employees and government offices and ministries. In the meantime, DRDO identified a vendor with the WHO formulation (Gwalior Alco Brew Pvt Ltd), which had been provided with technical support.
The company identified has the capacity to make around 20,000 to 30,000 litres of hand sanitizers per day and this will be commercially available for Rs 120/- (inclusive of GST) in different sizes of 200 ml and 500 ml.
Ventilators
With ventilators emerging as the biggest need of the hour since COVID-19 affects pulmonary functions keeping in mind the futuristic requirement. The DRDO has stepped in to help the private sector to mass produce the devices. A design of ventilators made by the Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bangalore (a DRDO lab) had earlier been transferred to Mysore-based Scanray Technologies, Mysore that will now be mass produced.
DRDO was helping them to increase production rate and the needed critical parts. The DRDO has identified local alternatives to supply critical components. The company has agreed to share the technology and design with other Indian companies free of cost to expand production capability. Around 5,000 ventilators will be produced in the first month and 10,000 subsequently.
Personal Protective Equipment
A protective body suit developed earlier by DRDO’s Institute for Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences for medical and paramedical staff to manage and evacuate causalities in the event of CBRN emergencies has now been adapted for use by medical staff and health workers engaged in combating Covid-19. The suit is washable, and has passed the ASTM International standards. The body suit can be used to manage and evacuate the causalities in the event of radiological emergencies, which has been converted as a full body suit to stop contamination. Over 10,000 such suits are being produced per day by private manufacturers and production is expected to ramp up further with more private players joining hands.
DRDO was working on providing ready-to-eat meals for the government and health workers through the Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysuru which already supplies them to the armed forces. The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has also ramped up production of sanitizers, masks and body suits.
Casualty Evacuation Bags
DRDO has designed a casualty evacuation bag to transport or isolate persons infected with Covid-19. The bag is water and air-proof and treated to deal with biological agents.
DRDO hopes to transfer the know-how to private industry which has expertise in this field to manufacture them.
The bag, in the shape of a rigid cylinder, is made of non-woven, water-repellant fabric with air and waterproof zippers as well as a ventilator. It is coated with a film to cater to a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) environment with requisite protection against blood and viral penetration.
DEBEL, which carries out research in aero-medical engineering and life support equipment and Nuclear, Chemical and Biological (NBC) protection systems, has developed this bag.
The size and shape of the Covid casualty evacuation bag is something akin to a fabric chamber developed by DEBEL in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil conflict to manage patients affected with High Altitude Pulmonary Odema (HAPO). The chamber is airtight and simulates air pressure that is prevalent at lower altitudes while evacuating patients from high altitude.
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Equipment Developed by DRDO
Product Industry
Sanitizer Gwalior AIco Brew, Gwalior
Shreenathjee Chemicals, Bhopal
Trolley Mounted Sanitizer Ceasefire Equipment, Delhi
Aska Equipment, Delhi
Ventilator Scanray Pvt Ltd, Mysore
BEL, Bengaluru
PPE Mk2 GokaldasExports, Bengaluru
Kusumgarh Corporate Ltd.
Personnel Sanitization Enclosure DH Ltd, Ghaziabad
Personnel Sanitization Unit Scientific Equipment Ltd, Delhi
N99 Masks INTEC Safety, Kolkata
Venus Industries, Mumbai
Full Face Shied-Visor based iMake, Hyderabad
Non-critical medi-suit Medikit, Mumbai
Protection Bio-suit Frontier Protective Gear, Kolkata
Portable Backpack Sanitizer Ceasefire Equipment, Delhi
Aska Equipment, Delhi
Personal Protective Eqpt Mk1 Frontier Protective Wear Kolkata
Shiva Texyam, Coimbatore
Aeronov, Noida
Arvind Ltd., Ahemdabad
