China now sending sub-standard oxygen concentrators to India: Report

India's India Today magazine said it has accessed documents and photographic proof to show how the companies have not only jacked up prices but also altered specifications and components used in making the oxygen concentrators for India, compromising on the quality and life cycle of the machine, which could lead to a medical catastrophe in India.

Different companies are quoting separate prices for the 5-litre and 10-litre concentrators. While the rates vary, most show an increase in the cost in the past weeks. This even as Beijing has been trying to portray the exports as a “humanitarian” gesture, reports the Indian magazine.

Chinese envoy to India Sun Weidong tweeted: " As far as it goes. #China provides most oxygen concentrators to #India, and keeps producing oxygen concentrators&other medical equipment for India."

But, in reality, if you look at the invoices of one of the manufacturers, Yuwell, the prices stood at $340 per piece on April 30. Weeks later, the cost of each container went up to $460 (as of May 12), reports India Today.

Indian businessmen speaking to India Today, on condition of anonymity, said the sudden rise in demand which was unplanned for the manufacturing industry led to an “increase in prices and decrease in quality”.
One of the businessmen, helping in the procurement of these concentrators for NGOs in India, told India Today that this increase in price is “not due to the increasing cost of raw materials but because of limited supply. Most of the raw material suppliers and factories are making the most of it, leading to many buyers offering higher prices.”