The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, has unveiled 3,000 reusable face masks for distribution to its members to protect them from COVID-19 infection.
This is just as the union lamented that government at all levels were not doing enough to protect frontline workers.
The chairman of the union, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, who performed the unveiling while speaking with journalists, said it was important that members had access to face mask that was produced following international standards.
ASUU UI about a month ago also produced hand sanitizers which it distributed to frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 in Oyo State.
Akinwole who was flanked by Dr. Dapo Okareh (Chairman of the ASUU-UI Treated Cotton face Masks) and Dr. Sola Omoregie (Secretary of ASUU, UI), said the ASUU-UI treated cotton face masks would ensure that members were protected from infection when they use the masks and observe physical distancing among other preventive advisory while in the public space.
According to him, a number of ASUU members had been playing major roles in the fight against COVID-19 nationwide, lamenting that government was not doing enough to protect frontline health workers from being infected.
The ASUU boss said as a union of intellectuals, it cannot allow members to purchase and use masks freely sold on the streets majority of which failed to follow international standards of producing face masks.
Okareh who is the Chairman, ASUU-UI Treated Cotton Face Masks Production Committee, said the committee utilised cotton fabric, absorbent, cellofilter, organofilter, liner, pearls and other materials, noting that the produced face masks were already treated and had laid down procedure for treating them after use.
While noting that it was better to use face masks than a ventilator, he also urged academic staff to adhere strictly to advisory guidelines and use the produced face masks to prevent themselves from being infected.
Okareh added that it took the committee about 17 days from conception, design to have the final products using the expertise within the union.
He said, “About a month ago we produced hand sanitisers for frontline workers which include our members who are in various committees fighting COVID-19 nationwide. We are challenged that facemasks are becoming expensive and different types of local face masks which have not followed international standards are seen on the streets being sold to people.
“This is why we have decided to produce this using our expertise and following international procedure and we shall distribute them to our members who live in various communities to protect them and prevent them from community transmission of COVID-19 when they are in the public. We urge government to do more to protect frontline workers because government is not doing enough at the moment.”
