Design and Development of Medical Bandage in Handloom Sectors

Surgical bandages are the products manufactured from white bleached cotton gauze cloth of suitable quality. These are available in various width of running from 2.5. cm to 15cms and of length from 3 meters to 5 meters. These are packed in a unit of dozen for sale. They are mainly used in hospitals/dispensaries for laying the wounds after dressing. The bandage cloth is rolled on rolling machine and then cut into suitable width with the help of cutting machine. Individual bandage is slitted and parted, labeled and packed into bundle of 12 after suitably treated in auto-clave. The present demand for the proposed product is estimated at 256 tons per annum. The demand is expected to reach at 337 tones by the year 2020. Gauze, bandage and wadding are both imported and domestically manufactured in Ethiopia. However, currently, the bulk of the demand for the products is met through import. The distribution of the product will be through the established pharmaceuticals channel as well as a direct delivery to hospitals. This research aims at designing and developing the above specified surgical bandages cloth, woven in Handloom sector at Kombolcha.