COVID-19: VNIT hands over PPE Ultra Violet Sanitization Units to AIIMS
   Date :08-May-2020

Dr Pramod Padole_1 &
 Dr Pramod Padole, Director of VNIT and Major General Dr Vibha Dutta, SM, Director, AIIMS exchanging MoU. (Right) This is PPE Ultra Violet sanitisation unit.
 
Principal Correspondent :
 
In a small function conducted at the premises of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), its Director Professor P. M. Padole handed over two models of ultra-violet sanitizer USANIT_1 and USANIT_2 to Major General Dr Vibha Dutta, Director, AIIMS, Nagpur. Prof. Pramod Padole and Maj Gen Dr Vibha Dutta signed the extended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the handing over ceremony at VNIT Nagpur. The MOU signing was followed by the live demonstration of the equipment. It may be remembered that Dr Padole had declared on April 25, a team of professors and engineers of Electronics and Communication Engineering department has started working on the UV- sanitizer models.
 
The work was completed on the war footing on May 4, 2020 and the models were designed, implemented and tested in a short span of only 8 days during lock down to facilitate the fight against COVID-19. It is a known fact that washing clothes and PPE kits of the health workers and patients put the lives of the washermen at risk. The ultra violet sanitization units use the ultraviolet radiations for disinfecting the personal protection kits, masks, gloves and aprons used by the healthcare personnel involved in the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients. The items to be disinfected are to be hanged in the UV sanitizer units for designated time for expected 99.5% sanitization. The operation of the unit is automatic and user friendly so that they can be operated even by semiskilled workers. The designed equipment aretechnically at par with the commercially available sanitizers in national and international markets. However due to lock down it has become difficult to make them available due to import restrictions.
 
The team comprising of Prof Kishor Bhurchandi, Dr Prabhat Sharma and Dr Deep Gupta from Electronics and communication Engineering department has designed the systems technically. The systems were implemented and lab tested by the team of professors and engineers Sudhir Kumar Singh and Shrawan Kumar at the departmental laboratory. In the days of lock down, the team received help from HINDALCO officers Raveesh Kumar Verma and Manoj Hote in making the aluminium lining material available. Most of the material used in the design were other domestic items.
 
The representatives of AIIMS present during the ceremony expressed that the equipment are going to be very useful for sanitisation of PPE kits. VNIT and AIIMS teams are further going to collaborate for performance evaluation of the equipment in the actual practice. The MOU was signed in presence of Prof V B Borghate (Dean R and C), Prof Jatin Bhat (Associate Dean, Industry Interaction) of VNIT, Professor K M Bhurchandi, HOD Electronics and Communication Engineering and the other team members of VNIT. Prof Dr Mrunal Phatak, Dr Sanjeev Chaudhari and Dr Prathmesh Kamble of AIIMS were present on the occasion. All the participants were wearing mask and social distancing was maintained throughout. 
 
VNIT pensioners contribute to PM’s CareS Fund Prof P M Padole, Director, VNIT, Nagpur had appealed pensioners (teaching and non-teaching) of the institute to contribute one day pension towards PM’s CareS Fund for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to his appeal, the total amount of Rs 3,76,000 has been contributed by 90 retired faculty and 120 retired non teaching members. The present teaching and non teaching staff members have also contributed one day salary (Basic + DA) amounting to Rs 14,37,409. Director, VNIT, Nagpur has expressed his sincere thanks to all retired teaching and non teaching staff members for responding to his appeal and contributing one day pension for this cause.