Warding off corona: Pakistan makes face shield for schoolchildren

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is successfully manufacturing international standard, economical face shields for kids and school-going children in order to protect them against the contagious coronavirus.

For the first time in Pakistan, the company "SPEL", has designed the face shield — which was awarded the European Union CE certification for face shields to manufacture and export the protective item.

According to a press release, Zia Haider, the designer of the shield, said that prior to the designing of these protective masks, a series of result-oriented consultations with a panel of leading medical professionals was held, as well as scores of principals were consulted, to understand the psyche of the students so that they feel comfortable while wearing shields in class and their facial expressions should be clearly visible to teachers.

Keeping in view the current circumstances, Haider disclosed that the company, on the personal request of Governor Punjab Muhammad Sarwar, has worked out an affordable price of Rs 150 for a shield so that even poor people can buy the shield.

He said that the kit is light-weight and can be washed with soap and water, provides full-face protection, is comfortable to wear, is breathable, and also provides the first level of defence against splashes and mist. "It is made of a transparent PET sheet using indigenous technology and local resources," the press release added.

Speaking on during a demonstration ceremony, Iftikhar Ali Malik, who was the chief guest, congratulated the manufacturer for developing the high quality face shield to meet the local demand and hoped that it would help in containing the spread of the deadly virus when schools will reopen on September 15 across the country.

Urging the federal and provincial governments, in particular education minister Shafqat Mahmood to make it mandatory for all school-going children, he lauded the strategy of Prime Minister Imran Khan to contain the coronavirus which "showed unprecedented results" compared to developed countries in the world.

Zahid Iqbal, the vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also lauded the efforts and contribution of the company in earning a good name worldwide for Pakistan in manufacturing PPEs.