KATHMANDU: The world is currently struggling with the novel coronavirus crisis. Four countries – Turkey, Spain, Ukraine and the Czech Republic — are returning testing kits made in China.
Adding up to the list, the Netherlands recalled all the defective masks recently bought from China.
China is exporting testing kits, medical equipment, and face masks around the world in the name of goodwill gesture.
These Chinese kits, however, have been found to be faulty and substandard.
The Netherlands ordered a recall of more than 600,000 masks out of a shipment of 1.3 million brought from China because of failing to meet quality standards.
Tests showed that the masks had defective filters.
Even more, the masks had been distributed to many hospitals currently battling the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Likewise, Spain, acted in desperation. Maria Jesus Montero, representative of the Spanish government said several countries are fighting to secure domestic production, fighting to get supplies from China.
Meanwhile, Spanish government spokesperson Maria Montero said the country fought a ‘war’ while getting medical supplies in an overheated Chinese market.
However, the testing kits purchased from China were faulty.
The rate of detection failure in Spain among testing kits was 70 per cent, while it was 80 per cent in Czech Republic.
So far, China has exported around 100,000 kits to the Philippines, over 10,000 each to Poland and African countries.
China has sent medical teams to some countries, including Serbia and Italy.
China has so far extended its ‘help’ to around 89 countries and four international organizations.
When the rest of the world is under a lockdown, China is currently moving towards normalcy. Business has resumed in several parts of China.
While several major countries are still struggling, China has already a head start.
Meanwhile, some nine thousand new manufacturers have started producing masks in China. Several firms have started producing personal protection equipment (PPE) such as masks and face gear, reports have said.
According to a report, China produces over 115 million masks every day.
Even the BYD, a company that makes electric cars, said it makes five million masks per day.
Likewise, the Foxconn, a Taiwanese company that makes iPhones, sai dit can make two million masks per day.
Meanwhile, several foreign companies based in China have already reopened with around 80 percent of the workforce back at work.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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