From green to blue, from wearing their soldier uniforms to protecting doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, that is how the Factories for Clothing and Equipment of Mexico’s National Defense Ministry (SEDENA) since last March, when they began producing reusable personal protective equipment for healthcare workers at the front line of the fight against the new coronavirus.
When entering the SEDENA factories located in southern Mexico City, a message receives the military personnel that works in the elaboration of 2,000 complete kits of uniforms “Zero mistakes, zero accidents.”
The signs that hang over the hallways where 70 industrial sewing machines are located, as well as 10 huge tables for both factories, and almost 200 workers in total, show the exigency for quality and perfection to produce the uniforms that will protect medical personnel from infections.
“We are producing clothing and equipment in support of the DN-111 plan due to the current situation of the country, to help healthcare workers. We have had to put more effort into our work to make sure of the quality and of meeting the requirements of what is needed,” asserts Suileima Nava Maldonado, deputy chief of the Dress-Making C Factory.
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“Before green was seen all over the Factory, now, it is white and blue,” she says.
Since March 23, the SEDENA factories have not stopped making surgical equipment.
Since March 23, following the declaration of the health emergency due to COVID-19, the cutting machines have not stopped tracing and cutting and the sewing machines have not stopped joining pieces to create surgical equipment from the enormous rolls of blue cotton fabric that lay in the factories.
To date, the SEDENA has produced 3 million pieces; 30,000 gowns, 26,966 uniforms, 71,347 caps, and the same number of shoe covers, as well as 2.5 million reusable masks and 3,000 hospitalization gowns with pants.
“Our mission is to safeguard the civil population and give support to the nation during emergencies. This time, it is a disease, but we are always there, through thick and thin, giving support in logistics or security,” asserts Ricardo Ramìrez Zamora, chief of the Tracing and Cutting Factory.
The material is destined for the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), the hospitals of the INSABI, the SEDENA’s, and the IMSS reconverted hospitals.
Now that the country has been living in the new normal for over a month, the pace of work has not slowed down but at the beginning of the contingency, they were focused on the task of producing surgical material, mainly face masks at the five dress-making factories, while the tracing and cutting factories had to work double shifts due to the high demand.
Their part is to safeguard the civil population, they assert.
During those first weeks, the demand for face masks was so high that there was not enough cloth, said Ramìrez Zamora.
Hence, they worked with material the Institute to Return Stolen Goods to the People had seized and that was donated to the SEDENA for the production of face masks.
“We made sure the clothes were made with natural fibers or cotton and we made face masks in all colors,” he added.
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In a tour made by EL UNIVERSAL in the factories, the soldiers recognize with pride that this time, their work is to support healthcare workers.
“The objective of the DN-III plan is to provide whatever is needed, at the moment it is needed, to whoever needs it. I don’t think helping healthcare workers is a setback by any means,” stresses Nava Maldonado.
The SEDENA has produced, among other things, 2.5 million masks.
Carlos Cobaxi Francisco, a soldier who works in the finished product área, is focused on the last quality control process of the uniforms, to remove loose strands from pants and other clothes, folding them, and packaging them to fill boxes and move them in trucks.
“Our contribution is only a small part. For a uniform to leave, it must first go through all the factory. We take it with great pride. This is my way of helping, by doing my job,” he asserts.
“All we wish is for people to stop getting infected and for there to be painful situations and deaths in families. Although we are now on this side, our families are also exposed; we just want this to be over,” said Suleima Nava Maldonado.
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