PETALING JAYA, March 30 — Malaysian designer Melinda Looi is spearheading an initiative to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially surgical gowns and face shields for government clinic frontliners amid the Covid-19 shutdown.
The Malaysian Official Designers Association’s (MODA) president also told Malay Mail that she drew inspiration from an entrepreneur, Liyana Zainal who has been donating protective gear to health workers in government clinics with the help of her friends since a month ago.
“I called Liyana to get contacts of PPE suppliers across the country, as they distribute surgical gowns, shoe covers, and even headgears to these health workers.”
Once she received those contacts, Looi immediately got down to business by ordering these non-woven fabrics so that her team and her could start sewing the surgical gowns for these government health workers.
She posted the statement on her Facebook account yesterday:
Looi was surprised when her designer friends, tailors working from home, and even manufacturing companies contacted her asking if they could do their part in contributing to the making of these surgical gowns.
“Making these surgical gowns from non-woven fabrics are simple as the attire is big and loose, and only requires armholes, and side seam stitches.
“They will be made in two sizes — medium and extra large — as those two are the standard size for health personnel.”
These materials, once ordered, will be delivered to these tailors and volunteers through Grab cars and are also picked up from their homes using the same mode of transportation, according to Looi.
“With the movement control order (MCO) being enforced, there is restricted mobility on the roads, and helping these Grab drivers also means giving them income amid this trying times.”
As to why Looi is targeting government clinics, she said that most government clinics which need at least eight sets of these surgical gowns daily did not have enough attire as compared to health workers in hospitals.
She was also looking towards making headgear for the frontliners with the help of other volunteers who had sent 3D plastic frames, elastic plastic sheets to make face shields for these health workers.
Looi also said that her work starts tomorrow with a group of designers and tailors who will be receiving the non-woven fabrics and elastic materials for the face shields.
Currently, Looi’s target is making an estimated 3,000 surgical gowns, but that figure may change according to the donations received.
Anyone who’s interested to help in the form of sewing, cutting or even donating monetary funds, please contact Melinda Looi at 0122940298.
Those who want to donate can do so to MODA (Maybank Account No: 514084339201) and send a picture of the bank’s slip to Looi at the number provided.
