GDC is now producing its own hand sanitizer for use by staff. The sanitizers are being produced at the GDC laboratories based at the Menengai Geothermal Project.
According to the Manager, Safety, Health & Environment (SHE), Mr. Gabriel Wetangula, the team produced over 40 liters of the hand sanitizer in the first batch of production. This is a great show of GDC’s innovative prowess in its operations.
“We are killing two birds with one stone- boosting public health safety and cutting on costs,” explains Mr. Wetangula. “We’re looking forward to increasing our production and distribution of the sanitizers to other regions within the company.”
Mr. Jared Nyamongo, a GRA Senior Technician who leads the team in the production of the sanitizer, notes that GDC is following all the recommended reagents from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the entire process.
“The choice of components for the WHO recommended hand rub formulations took into account cost constraints and microbial activity. We used the formulation of 98% Isopropyl alcohol 75% v/v, (15030mL), 98% Glycerol 1.45% v/v, (290mL), 3% hydrogen peroxide 0.125% v/v, (834mL), de-ionized water (HPLC grade) 3846mL that is recommended for local production with a maximum of 20 litres per batch to ensure safety in production and storage,” says Mr. Nyamongo.
Mr. Nyamongo adds that the team is ready and has the capacity to produce the sanitizers in large scale. “With enough reagents the team is capable of producing enough sanitizer to be used in all GDC offices across the regions and even commercially if need be,”.
The internal production of the sanitizer proves to be a cheaper alternative which is safe and also maximizes the use of facilities and equipment in the laboratory.
