As medical professionals still face supply shortages of protective clothing amid the new coronavirus outbreak, prisons throughout the nation will have inmates produce medical gowns, as well as masks. The goal is to have 1,200,000 gowns made by the end of October.
Prisons that have textile-processing facilities -- 41 prisons, including Fuchu Prison and Osaka Prison -- will task inmates to start creating the gowns starting in the middle of this month, the Justice Ministry said.
The inmates will do cutting and sewing, and the completed gowns will then be offered to medical institutions via the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
Beginning in mid-March, seven prison institutions in areas such as Aomori and Kyoto have been making 66,000 masks a month. Three prisons, including in Osaka, are also producing 4,900 units of protective clothing each month. Yokohama Prison plans to have their inmates make the clothing as well, for a total of about 6,400 articles per month to available supplies.
The masks and protective clothing are being delivered to private enterprises who supplied the raw material.
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