Innovative Indian doctor creates her own protective gear from car cover during COVID-19 pandemic

This Indian doctor made her own personal protective equipment (PPE) from a car cover after watching videos on YouTube.

Dr Geeta Rani, a gynaecologist in Bhagalpur, found the government was unable to meet the demand for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Rani bought a disposable PPE online and said: “It was of poor quality and expensive as well.

It had to be disposed of after eight hours and we could not afford to give it to all our staff." So she started looking at the YouTube videos of the PPE worn by Chinese doctors and understood how they worked.

She decided to make one for herself and started looking for an ideal material.

A car cover she had recently bought for £7 could repel liquid and was big enough to cover her face and body so she gave it to her tailor.

"It is for the experts to find the ideal material and make quality PPE widely available.

Till that happens we need to think practically," Dr Rani adds.

"Developing countries cannot afford disposable PPE.

I thoroughly sanitise my PPE with soap, dry it in sunlight and use it again," she said.