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Only handful of mask-makers legit: Hundreds selling dodgy products
The demand for masks is even more now with the COVID-19 third wave hitting the country post Avurudu season
Only about 15 facemask manufacturers have obtained official approval but hundreds of unauthorised mask makers are selling substandard products all over in the country, the Surgical Face Mask Association (SFMA) said.
As more public complaints flow in about poor-quality masks produced locally, SFMA President Dinesh Perera insisted that the government, health and law enforcement authorities should immediately address the issue of manufacturers illegally advertising their products as “surgical face masks”.
“This is totally an illegal act,” Mr. Perera said, adding that millions of substandard and unauthorised masks were sold every day due to the inefficiency and lethargic attitude of officials.
A concerned patient in Galle complained to the Sunday Times that low-quality masks had been bought at the Galle Co-operative Hospital.
The patient, who declined to be named, said that although the hospital was making purchases from local mask manufacturers it was not checking for National Medical Regulatory Authority (NMRA) certification.
When queried, the Chairman of the Galle Co-operative Hospital, Charles Gamage, said local mask suppliers competing against each other were making such complaints in calls to the hospital.
He said that the hospital was helping people in financial difficulty by purchasing cloth masks.
“There are substandard masks everywhere – such masks are even sold at roadsides. We are only trying to support people who are affected due to the pandemic,” he said.
Mr. Gamage said the hospital would consider the standards of masks acquired in the future.
The supervising Public Health Inspector of Minuwangoda, Aruna Randeniya, told the Sunday Times inspectors had closed down a small mask manufacturing plant in Yatiyana, Minuwangoda as 19 employees of the plant had the COVID-19 virus.
He said the masks were being made in a backyard shed made of corrugated iron roofing sheets.
“The employees of the factory informed us that one of their employees was COVID-positive last Saturday night following a PCR test done at a private lab. Therefore we carried out tests on the 20 employees and 19 of them were found to be COVID-positive,” Mr. Randeniya said.
He said that until then the PHIs had not been aware this business had been in operation. Now, they have learned it had been part of a larger mask manufacturing plant in Randolugama, Seeduwa.
“The owner of the plant also was among the COVID-19 positive cases and did not have documentation or a trade licence as he claimed they were operating under a larger mask manufacturer,” Mr. Randeniya said.
He said the factory has been shut down and its workers sent to quarantine centres while PCR tests are being performed on their close contacts.
“The masks found inside the shed would be destroyed at a future date,” he said.
The NMRA urged the public to use medical grade three-ply surgical masks and KN-95 respirators approved by the authority. It said people should look for manufacturers name, address and package information before purchasing masks.
The head of the NMRA, Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe, said the authority could only regulate medical masks and were therefore unable to act on fabric face masks.
He said if complaints were made about substandard three-ply medical masks or medical grade KN-95 respirators, NMRA officials could take legal action against the producers.
“We even check the boxes and packaging of such masks. If unregistered mask producers falsely print “NMRA approved” on packaging we would take legal action,” he said.
Dr. Jayasinghe said people could also carry complaints to the authority about backyard mask manufacturers. “We can check whether the establishment is NMRA-registered one or not and take appropriate action,” he said.
The Public Health Inspectors (PHI) Union Secretary M. Balasuriya said inspectors have detected a practice of steaming used facemasks and re-packing them for sale as well as found masks being manufactured in unhygienic conditions.
“There are substandard fabric masks available in the market that resemble three-ply surgical masks,” he warned.
He stressed the public should avoid using fabric masks as these were only designed to give protection from dust particles.
Mr. Balasooriya said only medical grade N-95 masks fully guarded people from both contracting and spreading COVID-19, adding: “Medical grade masks are expensive and cost about Rs. 400-500 and are mostly not available for the public”.
Indumi de Silva, a government employee residing in Wattala pointed out that labourers who work for a daily wage are unable to spend Rs. 400-500 to buy a medical-grade mask used by medical staff. She said the government should make sure there were good masks at affordable prices.