The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is an Indian government ministry charged with health policy in India. Present, Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Ministry of Health is Dr. Rajiv Garg.
Amidst the pandemic, certain precautions are expected to follow and in that the used mask, washing of hands and maintaining social distancing is included. One should follow these steps when goes out of the residency. Earlier, it was recommended to wear N-95 masks as it was considered the best one in preventing virus to enter our body.
Recent studies have found that the N-95 masks with valved respirators are “inappropriate to use”. DGHS has warned each and every States and Union Territories against the use of N-95 masks with valve respirators. In this view, Rajiv Garg-the present DGHS has passed a letter to the Principal Secretaries of health and medical education of states and the letter says, “It is to bring to your knowledge that the use of valved respirator N-95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask. In view of the above, I request you to instruct all concerned to follow the use of face/mouth cover and prevent inappropriate use of N-95 masks.”
The DGHS under Ministry of Health spreads awareness and warns people to not to use N-95 masks which has valved respirator as it does not prevent the virus to enter rather with that valve the virus could easily make its way and can enter a human body. It is said to use other alternatives in the form of homemade cotton or any material cloth masks or mouth cover and it should be washed after every usage and an individual should not be using any other family members masks and it should be washed in boiled water so that all the germs or virus in it become inactive and then after drying it properly, one should wear it again and by doing so one can reuse these masks as many times as possible and it also prevents the virus to enter. Thereby, it is requested by DGHS to stop the use of N-95 masks which has valved respirators.
