Emergency approval granted for mask, medical gear production

Four companies in Shanghai have obtained licenses to manufacture facial masks for medical use or disposable protective clothing under an emergency approval mechanism meant to ease shortages, Shanghai's drug watchdog said on Monday. 

Another four companies are undergoing the application process under the same mechanism, the Shanghai Drug Administration said. 

"Under the mechanism, procedures such as inspections and checks, technology reviews and evaluations are conducted simultaneously," said Wen Daxiang, director of the administration. 

"The review and approval duration has been shortened to two to three weeks now, instead of 60 working days in the past," Wen told a press conference on Monday. 

"We encourage enterprises with capacities to expand their manufacturing scope of medical protective items," he said. 

Administration officials have visited 17 companies to inspect their manufacturing sites, said Wen. 

Factories, equipment, material supplies and personnel were evaluated and those satisfying certain standards were included in the emergency approval mechanism, said Wen. 

Guidance was provided by officials to help companies  meet quality standards under the mechanism, Wen said.

Supervision has been enhanced to promote quality standards, and on-the-spot inspections are conducted at least once every week on relevant companies, Wen explained.