Industrial units of Sri City churn out products to fight COVID-19

INN/Chennai, @Infodeaofficial

The outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has brought huge challenges across the globe. There is an unprecedented spirit in the humanity to defeat this scourge.

Feeling the urgency, amid all the restrictions around due to nation-wide lockdown, some of the Sri City units, viz Pals Plush, VRV Asia Pacific, Vital Paper and TIL Healthcare are engaged in producing quality healthcare products, ranging from high quality Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits to lifesaving drugs to emergency Hospital Bed to medical oxygen cylinders. 

Pals Plush India, a manufacturer of soft toys and accessories, operating at Sri City has begun manufacture of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits for the medical fraternity and other front-liners, who are all relentlessly battling the coronavirus pandemic.

It produces the kits using the seamless metal detection machines with the Acceptable Quality Limit based in-house testing facility, which make the product safe for the end-users. The company has dedicated its entire production capability for manufacturing these high quality PPE kits, including coverall and face shield.

Responding  to  the  Covid-19  crisis,  VRV  Asia  Pacific  Pvt.  Ltd.,  a  Chart  Group (USA)  of  company,  that  designs  and manufactures  cryogenic  equipment  at  its  unit  in  Sri  City,  is  producing  superior  quality liquid  cylinders and Storage tanks  for  storing  liquid  oxygen  (LOX). 

As  there  is  an  alarming  spike  in  the  number  of  positive  COVID-19  cases  in  the country,  demand  for  medical  oxygen  in  hospitals  is  increasing  day  by  day. 

So  as  to  cope  up    with  this demand,  more  and  more  liquid  oxygen  cylinders  are  needed.  To  meet  this  emergency,  VRV,  which  is  one of  the  two  companies  in  the  country  that  make  cryogenic  storage cylinders and tanks, swung into action.

As a responsible corporate, the Vital Paper’s Packaging Division in Sri City, one of the reputed manufacturers of corrugated packaging materials in the country,  conceptualised a unique and highly innovative emergency hospital beds, made from their high-quality Kraft paper based corrugated board and high strength paper at an affordable and reasonable price.

As coronavirus survives shorter period on cardboard/paper surfaces compared to plastic/metal, these corrugated board-paper beds are considered safe. Each bed measures 7ftX3ft, with a of height 2 ft.  It weighs 16 Kg (approx.), and can take load up to 200 Kgs.

It is very flexible and potable, and is very light to carry. They can be assembled and dismantled very easily. These recyclable and eco-friendly beds will certainly solve the shortage of beds in isolation wards.

TIL  Healthcare,  the  international  pharmaceutical  arm  of  the  Jhaver  Group  of  companies,  produces  a  host of  medicines,  including  a  few  life  saving  drugs,  at  its  pharmaceutical  formulation  manufacturing  facility  in Sri  City.  Now,  government  licensed  the  company  to  produce Hydroxy Chloroquine Sulfate  (HCQS) tablets.  As  soon as  raw  material is received, TIL Healthcare will start manufacturing of HCQS Tablets.

However, as there is an abnormal delay in getting the raw materials and other components due to hinderances in truck movement at the borders of different states during the lockdown period, production works in some of these units got hampered. If uninterrupted supply of raw materials is assured, production will be in full swing.  

So as to address such issues, a meeting was held in Sri City a few days back in which industries have briefed their problems to the Superintendents of Police, Chittoor, Nellore and Tiruvallur. They all assured to solve these issues, under the existing guidelines. Speaking on this occasion, Mr. R. Muthu Raj, I.T.S., Development Commissioner, Sri City SEZ, said, “These issues are very critical and need a quick solution. We will coordinate with the State Government officials and  facilitate smooth running of these units, which are permitted to work with skeleton staff during this crisis .”

Mr. Ravindra Sannareddy, Founder Managing Director, Sri City said,“We are very happy and honoured as these units are able to join the cause of freeing our country from this pandemic by churning out their products, with minimum staff and facilities. Sri City industrial community looks forward to take part in every such initiatives to help our fellow citizens.”