India on Thursday received 650,000 testing kits from China even as efforts were ramped up to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from countries such as South Korea, France and Canada, people familiar with developments said.

India is constantly focusing on acquiring medical supplies, including testing kits and ventilators, as priority items from China, South Korea, France and Israel among other countries as part of its efforts to combat the COVID-19 crisis.

The testing kits from China came from three suppliers.

The sources said 300,000 rapid antibody testing kits came from Guangzhou Wondfo, 250,000 kits were procured from Zhuhai Livzon, and 100,000 RNA extraction kits came from MGI Shenzhen.

India has been trying to get testing kits from Germany, South Korea, France and Israel besides China, said sources. Also, talks are being held with USA, UK, Malaysia, Canada and Japan for procuring test kits.

In the wake of adverse reports about the quality of Chinese medical equipment, the Spokesperson in the Chinese embassy, Ji Rong, said China attaches great importance to the export of medical products and that steps have taken to ensure their quality.

“Some countries including India raised their purchasing demands through diplomatic channels, and we recommend qualified companies. We hope that foreign buyers can choose products certified by Chinese regulatory authorities and with production qualifications when importing relevant products,” Ji said.

She also added that the Chinese authorities introduced stricter regulatory measures, requiring exporters to declare that their supplies have obtained the registration certificate for medical devices from the State Food and Drug Administration and meet the quality standards of the importing country.

Asked about the quality of the equipment procured from China, the government sources said adequate care has been taken to source the equipment from companies that fulfill international standards for exports.

India has been facing a severe shortage of PPEs and testing kits in view of rising cases of the coronavirus. The number of positive cases of coronavirus climbed to 13,347 while the death rose to 437, according to the Health Ministry.