Test Kits: China slams India over allegations

Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has requested the state governments to ship back the rapid antibody test kits that India had procured from China.

ICMR, India’s central body monitoring Covid-19, asked the state governments to return the rapid antibody test kits as they were deemed inaccurate and faulty. ICMR has said that the rapid antibody tests showed a wide disparity in results, which goes against the guarantees given by the makers. 

Beijing has now exhibited concerns over how the kits are being handled. Counselor Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi made a statement regarding this on Monday. He said that there are strict handling protocols that have to be followed by experts. Furthermore, product specifications have to be followed otherwise it will lead to inaccuracy in tests.

According to the Chinese ambassador, the ICMR had made it clear that these test kits should only be used for surveillance purposes. They are not meant to replace the RT-PCR test used to diagnose and confirm the cases.

ICMR issued a counter-statement saying that it advocates the swab RT-PCR test for COVID-19 testing as it is the most efficient way to test and confirm positive cases.

Ji Rong also defended the two Chinese companies, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. It was further emphasized that their COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits obtained the certification from the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA). It has met the standards of China and exported countries. Additionally, they were validated and approved by ICMR through the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. These tests were also exported to other countries like Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

The Centre had shipped 5 lakh kits from the two Chinese companies and had them distributed among the states. Since then several state governments have complained of inaccurate results. The kits were then tested by the ICMR, after which they asked the states to halt future acquisition and use of the ones distributed earlier.

After the accusation of supplying faulty kits, The Chinese embassy went on to “remind” New Delhi of the help that the Chinese are providing in handling the coronavirus crisis.

China has now become the largest manufacturer and exporter of medical equipment as well as protective gear. There is an acute shortage of these products and many countries continue to order medical equipment from China. Additionally, many countries have been complaining of faulty testing kits. Furthermore, the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) has been deemed below par.

The Chinese Embassy in a statement said that China is sincerely supporting India and is taking necessary steps to help. The exported medical products are assured to be of top quality. Hence, it is unfair and irresponsible to label Chinese products as “faulty” and be swayed by biased opinions. They also hope that India will appreciate and respect China’s goodwill to help and share their experiences and resources. Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Either way, the Chinese Embassy wishes to strengthen communications and resolve whatever problems occur in a timely fashion.

Earlier in the week, China had threatened Australia of significant economic backlash over its proposal of an international probe into Wuhan. (read here)

What does the future hold? Will the Chinese government make true on their promises or is India falling into a rabbit hole? Only time will tell.

Sourced from IndiaTimes