People are asked to be aware of fake medical masks, here’s how to check them

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The acting director general of Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices (Farmalkes) of the Ministry of Health, Arianti Anaya, reminded the public of the existence of fake medical masks on the market.

To avoid this, people are asked to be careful before buying by checking the mask distribution permit.

“To avoid the wrong choice of medical masks, health workers and the public should purchase medical masks that already have a medical device distribution permit from the Ministry of Health and this distribution permit can also be accessed through infoalkes.kemkes.go.id,Arianti said in a discussion on Sunday (4/4/2021).

Also read: One year of the Covid-19 pandemic: when the price of medical masks and hand sanitizers skyrocketed …

The fake masks Arianti refers to are those that do not have a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health, but are said to be medical masks.

To obtain a distribution permit, masks must meet quality, safety, and benefit requirements. Therefore, the test must be performed bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), shareicle filtration efficiency (PFE), respiratory resistance, and others.

This series of tests should be performed to ensure that the mask is able to prevent the entry of droplets or viruses and bacteria.

The masks that pass the test are those that receive distribution permits and are categorized as masks for medical devices, both surgical masks and N95 / KN95 masks.

“What is termed not according to its designation is, for example, that the mask is not actually a mask for medical devices, but is claimed to be a mask for medical devices. This will be followed up because of course will mislead the public. ” Arianti said.

Non-medical masks are generally used for various purposes, such as in the paint, mining or oil industries, which are commonly used to prevent inhalation disorders against pollution.

“Of course, the truth is that this non-medical mask does not have a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health because it does not meet the testing standards as a medical device,” he said.

According to Arianti, there are currently 996 masks that have received distribution permits from the Ministry of Health.

To follow up on the distribution of masks that are illegal or that do not agree with their designation, the Ministry of Health has collaborated with judicial officials. Arianti said his party had even confiscated masks that were shown to have no distribution permits, but which were claimed to be medical masks.

“If healthcare workers or the public find a mask that is suspected of not meeting standards, they are asked to (complain) immediately. We have an electronic watch for medical equipment that can be through complaints and / or through Halo, Health 1500567, “he said.