PU to sell low-cost hand sanitizers: VC

LAHORE: Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad has said PU will soon sell hand sanitizers on ‘no profit, no loss’ basis to save people from hoarders and profiteers.

Talking to the media after distributing free-of-cost hand sanitizers prepared by PU College of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) among general public and traffic wardens at New Campus Bridge here on Thursday, he said the country was facing serious crisis.

The PU VC said PU had developed diagnostic kit for COVID-19 under which the cost of test would be around Rs 800. He lamented that after the news of the development of diagnostic kit, the relevant companies had increased the prices of raw material used in the kit. However, he vowed, PU would continue to provide relief to the humanity. He said, unfortunately, the prices of raw material being used in hand sanitizers had also been increased but PU Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, College of Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry, CEES and other departments were working on development of low-cost hand sanitizers which could efficiently kill viruses. He urged the teachers and students of other institutions of higher learning to play their role to cope with this challenge. He said online education system was being launched at PU to avoid waste of academic year of students.

Prof Dr Sajid Rashid said a 50ml bottle of hand sanitizer was being sold in the market for Rs 450 but the cost of its production was Rs 25. He said soon after his social media video in which he told the people about how to make hand sanitizers at home, the raw material explained in the video had vanished from the market or its price had been increased 2 to 3 times. Moreover, he said, substandard hand sanitizers were also being sold in the market at high prices.