India delivers a jolt to China over the defective testing kits

New Delhi: The Indian government has taken a stern stand that the faulty kits supplied to India, will be returned to the countries where they came from and not a single Rupee will be paid for them. After receiving complaints regarding the Antibody Testing Kits received from China, rapid testing was suspended for a few days. The government also ordered an inquiry in the matter and checking of the imported kits. The Indian Council of Medical Research announced that further instructions regarding rapid testing will be issued, only after the investigation report. Against this background, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, clarified the government position in the matter. India seems to have delivered a stern message to China, with this.

The government is working on different levels to counter the Coronavirus pandemic. The government intends to conduct a maximum number of tests in the country. The target of screening 100,000 persons, per day, has been set. Currently, 30,000 tests are being conducted per day. But the government campaign for increasing the number of tests, received a major setback, because of the defective Rapid Testing Kits. As per a report, the government has ordered 3.7 million Rapid Testing Kits. These kits are being imported from countries like China, South Korea and Singapore. Out of these, nearly 700,000 kits have been received by the Indian government. Most of the received kits are from Chinese companies.

Last week, India received 500,000 Rapid Testing Kits from China. Thereafter, these Rapid Testing Kits had been supplied to certain states. But the states complained that the Rapid Testing Kits were defective. The kits were supposed to produce results with 90% accuracy, but the results were accurate only to the extent of 5.4%. Following this, the government ordered the suspension of Rapid Testing. Many questions are being raised since then. These accusations are being levelled, as millions of Rupees of the exchequer have gone down the drain in this transaction. Whereas, the question is being asked ‘Why the kits were ordered from China when it has lost its credibility?’ Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan answered these questions on Friday.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan clarified that the defective kits received from any country will be returned to those countries, including China. The Health Minister also clarified that the kits have still not been paid for and the payment for the defective kits will never be released.

Complaints are being received, regarding the defective PPEs and Rapid Testing Kits, from around the world. Before this, the European countries had severely criticised China for supplying defective kits. Serious accusations that China is trying to reap profits by supplying these faulty kits and other medical equipment, in the time of this global crisis. The European countries had returned nearly 2 million kits to China. Accusations are rife that China sold the same defective kits received from the European countries to India. Against this background, India has delivered a jolt to China, with the decision to return the defective kits.

After the information regarding defective kits was exposed, China assured India of all the possible cooperation. But the two companies that supplied the kits had refuted the allegation that the kits were defective and had claimed that the kits had been exported only after a thorough quality check. The reaction of the health ministry has been received after that.