Chennai: Sewing group makes masks for hospitals, cops

CHENNAI: For the last few days, 30-year-old Kamala Murali has been glued to her sewing machine whenever she gets some free time.
With the help of YouTube tutorials, she manages to make about a dozen cotton masks a day, which can then be given to patients, healthcare professionals, sanitation workers and police in the city.
"The masks are made of thick cotton and are made in such a way that filters can be inserted," says Kamala, who has her own textile company, Kambli.She is also part of a group of sewists and quilters in the city who are making masks at home to combat the increasing shortage.
The initiative began a week ago, after the group began getting requests from doctors and hospitals. "We are a group of 150 people, called Inchworms, and we have used our skills to support community causes even earlier," says Tina Katwal, owner of The Square inch, an arts and crafts store in Thiruvanmiyur. "Now, about 20 of us are making masks as in a few weeks everyone will need it, be it your neighbours, sanitation workers or security personnel."
The group began making masks about a week ago after they got a request from Madras Medical Mission (MMM).
"We have about 200 dialysis patients who come on a shift basis. The patients undergo dialysis for four to five hours per session and therefore utmost precautions are being taken to make sure they don't contract any infection," says Dr P Rajeevalochana, nephrologist, MMM, adding that at present they are given surgical masks. "But it is expensive so to make it cost-effective we reached out to people who could make the masks at home."
The masks are made in such a manner that they can insert N95 strips, says Rajeevalochana. "Once the masks are sanitised and the strips inserted, we will give them to dialysis patients. It is just for prevention."
The Inchworms supplied MMM with 250 masks in just four days. "We will sterilise them, put the strips and then give it to people," says Rajeevalochana. "This way, surgical and N95 can be saved for people who really need them."
To meet the demand, members of Inchworms have been watching YouTube tutorials and refining the techniques. "I found the tutorials rather tedious so I made a quick DIY mask, made a video and pout it out on our WhatsApp group so others could also follow it," says R Sowmyalakshmi, who specialises in making usually make fabric dolls. "Now, I make about 40 masks a day. "I have given some even to the security personnel in my building and even the police station next door."
Other hospitals have also been contacting them, says Tina, who also has a pan-Indian FB group called Desi Quilters, which has 3,500 members. "Clinics and hospitals have been requesting us to make masks for dialysis patients and expectant mothers, so we plan to keep this initiative going. And now, quilters all over the country are doing it to meet the demand," she says.
Sowmyalakshmi says they are also getting requests to help make waterproof PPE kits. "We can make the apron, shoe leggings, disposable bags, wraps and head covers, which are a part of the kit, at home and this would be of great help to doctors," she says, adding that hospital in Bengaluru has requested it for their hospital. "But we don't have access to raw materials. It would be great if someone would come forward to help us," she says.