The first cases of the novel coronavirus arrived in Colombia on March 6. With the arrival came fears that health supplies would become scarce. 

But a group of professors at the National University of Colombia took it upon themselves to join the fight and put their knowledge at the service of others.

Jorge Martinez, director of the Pharmaceutical Department at the university, says helping their fellow citizens is simply their mission as a public university. "We have a commitment with society during such a difficult crisis."

Colombia began lockdown measures on March 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent the country from running short on health essentials, the government decided to stop the exportation of products like soaps, disinfectants and medical equipment. Antibacterial gel was one of the products that initially ran low. 

The Colombian government also passed measures to promote the production of basic health products. Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez, who is leading the efforts, said, "We have already identified 29 companies that have the conditions in place to produce antibacterial gel."

Professors at the university wanted to make sure they didn't have to depend on the market. The university's Chemical Pharmacy Department had created antibacterial gel for years strictly for academic learning purposes. By industrializing their process, the professors could become a supplier for the university hospital which is preparing to receive COVID-19 patients. 

A small group of three professors and two volunteers work only on Tuesdays and Thursdays but have been able to expand production exponentially from about seven liters of gel a day to 75 now.

Martinez explains, "We were able to do it by becoming more efficient in our process and putting to better use equipment that we already had. And I think that with new equipment that we are to receive we will continue to grow."

The university says it is thankful and also gives credit to the private sector which donated the primary materials needed to create the gel. They will never look to do this work for profit as it would go against their mission.

"Whatever is leftover from the hospitals will also be donated," adds Martinez. "It will be given to vulnerable families who would otherwise have no way of buying antibacterial gel."