About 63,000 PPE kits from China fail quality test

Around 63,000 Chinese-manufactured personal protective equipment (PPE) kits did not meet Indian standard criteria, said sources in the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday.

The latest consignment from China consisted of about 170,000 PPE kits, including donations for the use of healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Sources said these PPE kits were sent to the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior, for quality testing.

"About 63,000 PPE failed to meet the set parameters during quality testing. Those kits, which passed the quality test, have been provided to the States," they said.

The Central government has four laboratories now equipped with testing and certification required for PPE body coveralls for dealing with COVID-19 patients.

These are South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore, DRDE, Gwalior, Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi, Tamil Nadu, and Small Arms Factory in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

A PPE kit consists of masks, eye shields, shoe covers, gowns, and gloves, which doctors wear while treating coronavirus patients.

"The Central government has placed orders of about two lakh PPE kits from Singapore, which are expected to arrive in India soon," sources informed.

So far, the Central government has supplied about 4,12,400 PPE kits -- from domestic and international production -- to different States. About 25,82,178 N-95 masks have been provided to various States as well, sources said.

( With inputs from ANI )