Iranian production units have produced over 15 million face masks since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, said the deputy industry, mine and trade minister.
Hossein Modarres Khiabani added the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has placed on its agenda as two top priorities making greater use of domestic capacities and facilitating imports of items needed by the country’s health and treatment network, in the light of the emphasis put by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on boosting domestic production and the policies adopted by the Iranian government to this end, IRNA reported.
He said by activating domestic production units, the ministry has helped produce 15.26 million face masks over the past few weeks.
The deputy minister added the figure pertains to the production of N95 and three-layer face masks, of which 14.88 million have been distributed in the country and the rest will soon be handed over to the distribution companies affiliated to the Food and Drug Administration of Iran.
According to statistics and based on the directive issued by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, production of hygiene products in Iran witnessed a significant increase concurrent with the start of the outbreak in the country, he said, noting that in this period, Iran’s production of antiseptics has grown eight-fold.
Modarres Khiabani added in the same duration, over six million liters of ethanol have been produced in Iran.
“In view of the amount of alcohol stored in the country, close to 13.4 million liters of the product have been supplied to the domestic health and treatment network in this period.”
He said during March 3-27, Iran imported 16.15 million N95 and three-layer face masks, 540,000 protective gowns and 1,280 liters of ethanol despite US sanctionson the country.
Modarres Khiabani noted that major companies affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade allocated $32.38 million to the purchase of nine million three-layer face masks and 2.3 million N95 masks and donated the items to the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting Coronavirus.
In addition, the ministry has made available €6.6 million through barter for importing hygiene products, he said.
The coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease, emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei Province late last year and is currently affecting a large number of countries and territories across the globe. It has infected and killed people in a large number of the countries.
On Friday, Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the coronavirus infections in the country have reached 53,183, and death toll stands at 3,294.
He noted that 2,715 new cases have been identified in the past 24 years, putting the number of deaths in the same time span at 134.
Jahanpour regretted that of the total number of the infected, 4,035 patients are in critical condition.
He said 17,935 patients have recovered.
