The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has been providing nearly 100 litres of hand sanitisers per day to the Sangareddy district administration to fight the spread of coronavirus.
The hand sanitisers have been made by a research team led by associate professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at IIT-H Jyotsnendu Giri. They are being handed over to the Sangareddy Collectorate, which is then distributing it to the local population.
Dr. Giri’s research team developed their own compositions including Isopropanol/ethanol, Mecetronium Ethyl Sulphate, Glycerol, Brilliant Blue and Fragrance (jasmin/clove/lavender oil).
The sanitisers were also being shared with the IIT-H community since March. The research group had developed the composition on a par with the standards recommended by the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Speaking about this initiative, director of IIT-H B.S. Murty said, “Amidst the coronavirus crisis, IIT-H has geared up to contribute to the society, the nation and the world at large, through its research and offer support to the local community. To combat COVID-19, the institute initially prepared hand sanitisers for in-house use. In view of the scarcity of this product, IIT-H is now preparing and delivering about 100 litres of sanitiser every day to the district administration.”
Dr. Giri along with technical staff, including Vijaya Kumar and Jaya Lakshmi, are involved in the process of making the sanitiser. His Engineering Nanomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory (ENARM lab) focuses on research and innovation for effective and affordable healthcare solution in areas of nanomedicine and regenerative medicine.
