Japan's All Nippon Airways starts medical kit production to prevent COVID-19 spread

Tokyo [Japan], May 30 : Amid the coronavirus crisis, world aviation companies are suffering due to lack of passengers and flights. But even in this scenario, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has decided to provide its support by producing medical treatment gowns and face shields.
It is providing its staff with every facility and is taking measures to ensure that the working place is clean and safe.
Even the air inside every workroom is changed regularly so as to avoid infection, further helping in implementing Japan's method of social distancing, which is based on avoiding three Cs. The three Cs refer to closed space with poor ventilation, crowded place with many people nearby, and close-contact settings such as close-range conversations.
"At first, the government was requesting medical supplies so we thought to contribute to our society and made an attempt of making gowns and face shields. Though our staff has never done something like this before under the supervision and guidance of professional people, we were able to do it," said Kanako Murata, ANA Senior Director.
ANA is supporting Japanese sewing company in producing medical gowns so as to meet the supply requirements of the item and extend help in the fight against coronavirus.
"From a professional point of view, making a gown is not so difficult but technically the issue is that they are used for medical purposes so they should be made strictly in a clean environment. In addition to this, we ensure that we never miss the quality check or leave any loophole that can cause contamination," Hideki Tani from Valley LLC.
ANA will also cooperate with Japanese manufacturers in making medical face shield. Thanks to the help from businesses like ANA, healthcare frontline workers will not fall short of equipment so that they need to work safely.
"Last week alone, we received a request for 30,000 pieces but we do not have enough workers. So we requested ANA to help in making 3,000 pieces, and we are really thankful," said Try Kit's Kousuke Kawai.
ANA's bold decision to produce medical gowns and face shields reflects a strong desire to see passengers returning back to travel by air.
"We hope that the situation changes so that domestic and international travel can be resumed. And our work here is to help achieve this goal," Murata said.
The plan is to produce 50,000 gowns by June to help in the fight against the coronavirus. This sincere effort will certainly have a great impact.