Chengdu companies, businesses work to combat virus

Medical researchers in Chengdu, Sichuan province photographed at work during Spring Festival. Many members of staff gave up their holiday to help with efforts to tackle the coronavirus. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Authorities in Chengdu, a central city in Southwest China, have been working hard to tackle the coronavirus outbreak which first began in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province. The city had reported 73 confirmed cases of the virus as of Feb 1, with one death and three patients recovering from the illness.

Fanmi Technology, a technological enterprise based in Chengdu, resumed production of handheld thermometers on Jan 21. The products are supplied to emergency bureaus, disease control centers, hospitals, train stations, airports and other densely populated areas.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the supply of medical resources under such critical circumstances," said Li Zhuodong, the firm's CEO, adding that many workers gave up their Lunar New Year holiday and returned to work.

The company's production line resumed full production capacity on Jan 30, enabling it to produce 1,200 to 1,500 handheld thermometers per day, helping meet local demand.

Fanmi Technology, a technological enterprise based in Chengdu, Sichuan province, resumed production of handheld thermometers on Jan 21. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chengdu Xinjin Shifeng Medical Apparatus & Instrument Co Ltd, a local medical device enterprise, started to produce masks around the clock on Jan 20, with the firm able to produce 100,000 masks each day.

"Although the cost of raw materials and workers' wages have both increased, we promise not to raise the price," said Shi Mingyang, head of the company, adding that his firm has urgently purchased mask production equipment, which will double its production capacity in a few days.

Officials at the city's economic and information technology bureau said they have been making every minute count to organize and assist enterprises in the city that have the ability to produce medical resources such as masks, disinfectant and thermometers to resume production or switch from other products to key medical products.

Chengdu produced a total of 2.05 million masks, 2,144 handheld thermometers, and 16,914 barrels of disinfectant from Jan 23 to 30, according to statistics from the bureau.

To ensure the supply of medical materials, Chengdu has also been purchasing products from countries including the United States, South Korea, Germany, Japan and India. And 8,000 sets of protective clothing purchased from the United States have been sent to the city by air, with 100,000 medical masks imported from Thailand having already arrived in Chengdu.

Currently, the city has the capacity to produce 500,000 masks every day. And its capacity to produce medical products is continuing to increase, according to officials.

Medical researchers in Chengdu are also working hard to help tackle the virus. Maccura Biotechnology Co Ltd, a leading company focused on the research and manufacture of invitro diagnostic products, successfully developed detection reagent boxes for the virus on Jan 27, the first company in Southwest China to do so.