With the surge in the COVID-19 cases in India, the healthcare sector comprising doctors, paramedical staff and pathologists are working tirelessly to save human lives. It is therefore the responsibility of the society to offer them necessary support. Under its CU-AID Campaign, Chandigarh University with the support from Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India has delivered 500 liters of hand sanitizer and face masks to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been prepared by the students and staff members of University Institute of Applied Health Sciences (UIAHS) at Chandigarh University. Officials of Chandigarh University along with Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Scientist 'E', DST, Government of India handed over the 500 liters of hand sanitizers and face masks to Dr. Nand Kumar, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, New Delhi. While another University team handed over 100 liters of sanitizer to Punjab Police personnels at Khanna.

Dr. Nand Kumar, expressed his gratitude towards the CU-AID Campaign and, said, "The 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizer prepared by Chandigarh University which has been handed over to us at AIIMS Campus recently matches the prescribed standard of sanitizers used in hospitals and we would be using it for the protection and hygiene of our paramedical staff, security personnel and housekeeping staff at AIIMS who are working under distress condition of COVID-19 outbreak."

Another team headed by Dr. Pawan Kumar, Scientist 'E', DST, Government of India and Chandigarh University officials handed over 100 liters of hand sanitizer to Punjab Police officials at Khanna. Harpreet Singh, SSP Khanna, Jagwinder Singh, SP Investigations and Shamsher Singh, DSP Headquarters were handed over the sanitizers prepared by the students and staff of UIAHS.

SSP Khanna, Harpreet Singh said, "We thank the team of DST and Chandigarh University who have given us hand sanitizers in such a short notice and it will boost the morale of our police personnel who are working day and night in serving the common man during such a crisis."

While giving details about the hand sanitizer production and distribution project jointly undertaken by DST and Chandigarh University, Dr. Pawan, Scientist, said, "DST had given a call to companies, universities and research Institutes to work on technologically driven innovative solutions like low-cost sanitizers, masks, scanning devices, rapid diagnostic kits and ventilators."

"Students and researchers of Chandigarh University have made rich contributions under the SYST Scheme of DST (Scheme for Young Scientists & Technologists) during the COVID-19 crisis in India," Dr. Pawan added. Earlier one of the research scholar of University Centre of Research & Development (UCRD) at Chandigarh University, Prof. Ranvijay had designed 2-way, 3-way and 4-way splitters to overcome the shortfall of ventilators in India with quickest possible time. Meanwhile the University continues to distribute free hand sanitizers and face masks to poor, needy and residents of villages in Mohali under its CU-AID initiative and have already distributed 3500 liters of sanitizers till date.

"The students and research scholars are already working on various research projects that can contribute during the COVID-19 crisis and on-going efforts will further get boost as the University has announced a budget of Rs. 5 crores exclusively to work on coronavirus related research," said Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor, Chandigarh University.