Goggle company kickstarting production to outfit medical staff

A Taiwan-invested goggle company in Guangzhou, Guangdong province has resumed production ahead of schedule to help equip medical workers treating novel coronavirus patients.

Heeding the call for support in the fight against the virus in Wuhan, Hubei province, Guangzhou Dashin Photonics & Jewelry Co started preparing for production on Jan 23 and resumed manufacturing on Jan 25, still in the Spring Festival holiday, according to general manager Simon Lee.

In normal times, the company is capable of producing 12,000 pairs of goggles of various kinds per day with 600 workers.

It has called back about 30 percent of the workforce, with pay three times the normal rate. It mobilized those spending the holiday in Guangdong or staying at the factory, family members and students, who have received training and are working on two shifts.

The company, located in Huadu district, can now produce 4,200 pairs of medical goggles a day, mostly for supply to Wuhan. About 30 percent of them are donated to hospitals in Hubei and Guangzhou.

The major concern of Lee is short supply of raw materials, because the raw material suppliers also have to address labor shortages. The stock is enough to meet two weeks' production, and the company is working its best to sustain capacity.

As a Taiwan-invested enterprise, Guangzhou Dashin wants to contribute to the fight against the epidemic and many Taiwan-invested enterprises are helping in their own ways, Lee said.