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UUM ONLINE: With the supply of 13,000 metres of non-woven fabric, Â鶹ֱ²¥ (UUM) targets to get some 6,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) sewn and ready for the daily use of frontline personnel at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB), Alor Setar.

Director of the Innovation and Commercialization Centre (ICC), Prof. Dr. Razamin Ramli said UUM had received a total of 10 rolls of about 1300 metres each, donated by HSB to be sewn into PPE.

According to her, together with a team of UUM designers, they came up with an idea of carrying out a special project for HSB as the hospital was still short of PPE robes.

In addition, she was told that staff at HSB needed between 700 and 1,000 pairs of PPE for their daily use to treat the existing patients.

“With the existing equipment as well as the good cooperation between the UUM staff and students, I am confident that we are able to provide around 50 pairs of PPE a day and that number will continue to increase on a daily basis given the efficiency of the volunteers we have.

"In addition, I have also enlisted the help of my fellow friends who are skilled at sewing to get the PPE outerwear ready and completed within two weeks and the other additional fabric rolls will be requested once the first stage is completed," said she who is also the Director of the UUM PPE Gown Project.

Prof. Dr. Razamin said the production of the PPE outer robe would begin with the preparation of a pattern block according to HSB's specification that should be XL so that the PPE could cover the entire body of the staff involved. The fabric will then be cut and stitched using the equipment found at the Curriculum Centre’s sewing room.

She expressed hope that the contribution made by UUM will further facilitate the task of frontline personnel in combating the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus.

Meanwhile the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer of HSB Mdm. Masfiza Abd Hamid expressed her heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to UUM for coming forward to help sew or provide isolation gowns which is part of the PPE set to help frontline personnel deal with the Covid-19 virus.

She also said that a total of 10 rolls of non-woven material were given to UUM for the preparation of the isolation gown where HSB officials needed almost 1000 units of the PPE daily.

“My heartfelt appreciation and gratitude go to UUM for helping the hospital and not forgetting our special thanks to the Nursing College, Pokok Sena Penitentiary, Kedah Volunteers, Kedah Zakat Board and non-governmental organisations such as Cancer Survivors Malaysia for their cooperation.

The PPE Gown project is in collaboration with the School of Creative Industry and Performing Arts (SCIMPA) and the UUM Curriculum Centre.

Also present was Head Nurse of the Infection Control Unit, HSB, Mdm. Zurina Ahmad.