Fashion designer helps hospitals - 18th January 2021

Lakshmi Menon is a fashion designer. Normally, she makes expensive clothes. Now, she is helping hospitals in India. She had a great idea. She is making cheap hospital beds.

Hospitals in Kerala have problems with coronavirus. The hospitals need extra beds. Menon found a cheap solution. She makes beds with plastic rubbish.

The plastic rubbish comes from PPE factories. PPE is personal protective equipment. Doctors wear PPE. It keeps them safe from coronavirus.

Factories are making a lot of PPE now. There is a lot of plastic rubbish from this. Menon is making beds with this rubbish.

Coronavirus can get inside India's hospital beds. Hospitals can't use the beds again. They need a new bed for every patient. This is expensive. But Menon’s beds are cheap. They cost 300 rupees (£3). That’s half the normal price. This is good for the hospitals. It’s good for the environment too.

Menon also makes beds for homeless people. She thinks sleeping well is important.