MU Chemistry Dept makes hand sanitisers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 21 2020: In a bid to ease shortage of hand sanitisers in the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research scholars of Chemistry Department, Manipur University have come toge-ther to produce hand sani- tisers inside the laboratory and distribute it freely to the university's community.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Head of the Chemistry Department Professor Okram Mukherjee Singh explained that concerned with the shortage of much needed hand-sanitisers at the local pharmacies of the State, research scholars and MSc students of the department came together to produce hand-sanitisers in-house.

MU Chemistry Dept makes hand sanitisers

The hand sanitiser produced by the department is made as per the formula given by WHO and will not cause any side-affects as there are no additives.

It just contains 80-90 percent Ethyl alcohol, 0.125 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1.45 percent glycerol and 11 percent distilled water.

A few drops of perfume or essence are added for an appealing smell, he explained.

As a trial run, around 200 bottles (200 ml) of hand sanitiser were made and distributed freely to the staff of the university administration block and teachers.

A 200 ml bottle costs more than Rs 150 to produce and as the liquid is made using chemicals which are available inside the Chemistry Department, there will be problems in mass scale production, the HoD said.

Professor O Mukherjee then conveyed that slowly but surely, various associations of the universities and the people are starting to invest in the initiative, and added that the department will now try to produce better quality hand sanitisers for the people.

However, the department will not approve any attempt to commercialise this project for profit.

Interested people can acquire the hand sanitisers from the department, he said, appealing to the general public to refrain from purchasing any other formulations with dubious origins.

Those items have high chances of getting their composition wrong or being poisonous, he concluded.

On the other hand, MU authorities have started screening of visitors inside the university campus from today.

The precautionary measures implemented at the university's entrance gate were witnessed when The Sangai Express went to collect another report about manufacturing of hand-sanitizers by Manipur University Chemistry Department looking after the hardship faced by the people due to shortage of the item in the market.

Temperature of every visitors, university staff, Professors and students were checked thoroughly at the main entrance gate by security personnel using necessary devices/equipment and the security personnel also ensured that the visitors sanitised their hands using hand-sanitizers before entering the university campus.

When enquired about the development, one of the security personnel said that they were asked by the MU authorities to check temperature of visitors at the main entrance gate.

He said that they were instructed to detain those whose temperature are above 38 degree Celsius and to inform the Health authorities of the State immediately.