LAHORE – Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad has said that PU will sell sanitizers on ‘no profit, no loss’ basis soon to save people from hoarders and profiteers. He said that the country was facing serious crisis and PU would play its national role to cope with coronavirus outbreak.
He was answering questions of journalists after distributing free hand sanitizers prepared by PU College of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) among people and traffic wardens at New Campus Bridge here on Thursday.
Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, CEES Principal Prof Dr Sajid Rashid, DSP Traffic Police Mr Khalid, Inspector Nadia Baqar and other officials were present on the occasion. Talking to media, PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad said that the society needed help and we must play our role to help society.
He said that PU had developed diagnostic kit for COVID-19 under which the cost of test would be around eight hundred rupees. He regretted that after the news of the development of diagnostic kit, the relevant companies had increased the price of raw material used for the kit.
However, he vowed, PU would continue to provide relief to the humanity. He said that unfortunately the price of raw material being used in hand sanitizers had also been increased but PU Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, College of Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry, CEES and other departments were working on development of low-cost hand sanitizers which could efficiently kill viruses.
He urged the teachers and students of other institutions of higher learning to play their role to cope with this challenge. He said that online education system was being launched at PU to avoid wastage of academic year of students. Prof Dr Sajid Rashid said that a 50ml bottle of hand sanitizers was being sold in the market for Rs 450 but the cost of its production was around 25 rupees.
He said that soon after his social media video in which he told the people about making hand sanitizers at home, the raw material explained in the video had been vanished from the market or its price had been increased 2 to 3 times. Moreover, he said, substandard hand sanitizers were also being sold in the market at high prices. He said that profiteers and hoarders must refrain themselves from such practices and serve humanity at this critical time. –PRESS RELEASE
