Hubballi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Dharwad manufactured 500 face shields for medical staff attending COVID-19 positive cases at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.
Research scholars and faculty members at IIT-D produced these shields using affordable material and 3D printing technology as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Speaking about the 3D face shields, a health official of KIMS said, “The coronavirus mainly enters the body through the mouth and nose and the PPEs available here were not giving full protection to the medical staff. At this juncture, the IIT-D team came to the rescue of the medical fraternity and provided them with face shields.”
The Deputy Commissioner’s office at Dharwad had placed the order for 500 face shields at the IIT.
The raw material for making the shields was provided by the district administration.
An officer from the DC office said, “It’s difficult to procure face shields from outside at this point of time. There is no sufficient stock of shields even in hospitals in metro cities. Therefore, the administration thought of seeking the support of IIT to produce shields.”