AfricaPress-Tanzania: IT was until last Wednesday when Tanzanians discovered that there was a possibility of the country being supplied with fake and substandard facemasks amid Covid-19 fight.
The startling news was unveiled by President John Magufuli when addressing the nation from his hometown, Chato, however, a section of the public apparently downplayed the revelation.
President Magufuli warned the public against arbitrary facemasks wearing especially those entering the country as donation, hinting that some were fake and unable to protect them from the deadly Covid-19.
He encouraged wearing of locally made masks –insisting that local industries were able to venture into production and provide Tanzanians with safe and standard anti-coronavirus wear.
In the wake of this, President Magufuli directed the health ministry to take precautions by examining the quality of all equipment, including protective gears that are offered or shipped into the country.
“We need to be very careful, we must understand that in this process our people can end up getting infections instead of curing,” he said, while tasking the ministry and security organs to make sure whatever brought in is safe and meets the required standards,” he said.
In what appeared to be a fulfillment of Dr Magufuli’s revelation, news broke out at the weekend suggesting that some countries (names withheld) were involved in making and importing masks that were of poor quality, thus unsafe for use.
As a result international media reported that the consignments of such fake masks were even returned to the countries of origin.
Reacting to the shocking revelation yesterday, the government and regulatory authorities declared that they were all out doing whatever within their powers to ensure no substandard masks are shipped in the country.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade affirmed that strict measures have been put in place at all entry points to ensure no fake or substandard masks are penetrating into the country’s streets.
Deputy Minister Eng Stella Manyanya told the africa-press that the law requires all goods and products to be registered and inspected before entering into the local market.
She noted that all medical devices including facemasks must be registered by the government’s responsible agency which is Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) that will also inspect the quality of the consignment at the point of entry.
“Those consignments that are coming legally are safe as all the responsible institutions are doing everything needed to ensure no substandard products are imported into the country,” she explained.
She added: “Unless they are smuggled, but there has been a regular patrol at our border areas, same to what has been done on smuggling of sugar and cooking oil.”
The ministry also insisted that all business men must confirm in advance with the authority on the standards of the consignments for importation and that for those who won’t meet standards are barred from entering the country.
She further revealed that inspections are continuously conducted across the country to establish if there is a presence of the prohibited or substandard products and that legal actions are taken against the culprits.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador of Tanzania to China Mr Mbelwa Kairuki also advised Tanzanian traders who want to order masks from China to buy the consignments from companies that have been authorised by the government.
He also reminded them to adhere to the customs requirements by the Chinese government and standards being set by the government of Tanzania through its regulatory bodies.
The inspections are done by TMDA, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) in collaboration with the Police Force.
In an interview with this paper, TBS Director General Dr Yusuph Ngenya assured that the bureau was ready all the time to cooperate with other institutions to curb spread of fake protective gear as far Covid-19 crusade is concerned.
He revealed that TBS in collaboration with TMDA recently conducted an inspection to establish if traders and manufactures of hand sanitisers were registered.
“The operation went successful and we are grateful now manufacturers are observing the standards, we shall do the same on face masks when needed,” he said assuring that they are working closely with TMDA on the matter.
TMDA for its part maintained that all entry points are equipped with staff that inspect all imports that have been registered and that the law is observed accordingly.
TMDA’s Head of Communication and Public Education Ms Gaudensia Simwanza said the inspection at the entry point is mandatory to avoid an influx of fake and substandard consignment; also there is a monitoring system that tracks the devices and equipment across the country.
“In case we find fake equipment here is when the authority seizes and destroys them as we have done in some of previous inspections,” she said.
Earlier last week, the regional government in Dar es Salaam made an order that directed mass use of masks in community settings as a way to prevent further spread of the disease.
