Chinese rapid test kits for COVID-19 faulty: Complaint from states

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Apr 21, 2020: Three states have indicated that the Chinese-made Rapid Test kits distributed across the country are not fully ineffective, the Indian Council of Medical Research said today, promising to look into the matter. The country’s nodal body in the fight against coronavirus has also asked all states to stop using the rapid test kits for two days by which time, they expect to resolve the issue. Rajasthan, which flagged the issue today, said it has already stopped using the kits, NDTV reported.

 

Earlier this month, the government had procured around 6.5 lakh Rapid Testing kits from China. They were distributed across the country after the ICMR advised testing for all people in the COVID-19 hotspots across the country. The testing started four days ago.

Soon after the Chinese shipment, a controversy started after a section of the media questioned the quality of the kits.

Referring to the media reports, Beijing last week denied that the kits were of inferior quality, saying they attach "great importance to the export of medical products".

The authorities, Beijing said, have introduced stricter regulatory measures that require exporting firms to provide "statements when declaring to the customs that their exports have obtained the registration certificate for medical device from the State Food and Drug Administration and met the quality standards of the importing country or region.

Some nations including India raised purchase demands through diplomatic channels, China said. "We hope that foreign buyers can choose products certified by Chinese regulatory authorities and with production qualifications when importing relevant products," Beijing had added.

But today, Rajasthan said it has stopped testing with the Chinese kits, saying they proved effective only in 5.4 per cent cases.

"One state said that there are inaccuracies in these test kits. We confirmed this with three states and found that the findings were true to an extent. This is not a good sign. We are working on it. We have taken cognizance of it, and definitely not ignoring this defect," the ICMR’s Dr R Gangakedhkar said. "If the batch of rapid test kits are found faulty, we will ask that company to replace all kits," the ICMR had said.

China – which has become the world’s leading supplier of PPE kits -- sent 6.5 lakh donated kits last week. Another 20 lakh, which India is purchasing, is expected over the next 15 days, the government has said.