COVID-19: After masks, Kerala jail inmates make gowns for medicos

After the efforts of prison inmates stitching face masks boosted the production to ward off coronavirus, the tailoring unit at the Central Prison in Thiruvanathapuram has started making uniforms and gowns for doctors and paramedical personnel. 

The prison, located at nearby Poojappura, has already received an order from Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) for making uniforms and gowns for their staff.

“Since they have to treat emergency COVID-19 cases, there is a rise in demand for gowns,” Superintendent of CentralPrison, Poojappura, B Sunil Kumar said, stating that the hospital has placed an urgent order for 500 gowns.

Giving a fillip to mask-making at the prison, top actor Indrans (Surendran Kochuvelu), himself a costume designer, visited the jail earlier this week and demonstrated how to make that simple protective device effortlessly.

Related news: COVID-19: After Kerala, Rajasthan jail inmates make sanitisers, face masks

While two prisoners are assigned the stitching of gowns, 23 others are engaged in the production of masks. “The material for uniforms, which are cotton and terry cotton fabric, and the model are provided by SCTIMST. So we will be charging only for stitching, that too nominally,” he said. 

The Central Prison has already supplied a set of 25 uniforms to them, and more are in the making, Kumar said.

“Though around 55 jails in the state are producing masks and sanitizers now, stitching of gowns for medical staff is our monopoly,” the official said, adding that if any hospitals come forward with such a request in future, they would be happy to lap up the opportunity.

Sanitisers, which has huge demand at present, is also being produced at the Poojappura Central Prison. They have procured 7,000 litres of spirit from the Excise Department for producing sanitizers, for which pure spirit has been used.

₹50 is being charged for 100 ml bottles and most of them were purchased by the departments. Production of all these items will go on at a steady pace, the Superintendent of the prison added. 

(With inputs from agencies)