UAE issues guidelines for manufacture of PPE

The UAE has outlined a set of technical specifications for the manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to a report carried by the national news agency WAM.

The standards set out by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) cover face masks, protective and medical gloves, eye shields, medical clothing, chemical sterilisers, disinfectants and other products to ensure they are in line with international best practices.

Approved by the UAE Cabinet, the system is set to be operational by the first quarter of 2021, where it will serve to guarantee high-quality standards for PPEs supplied in UAE markets, as well as prevent any sub-standard products from hitting the shelves.

Read: How prepared are GCC healthcare systems to face a post-pandemic world?

Abdulla Al Maeeni, head of Standardisation and Metrology Department at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said that the National System for PPE will be mandatory and will detail the technical specifications of these products following international best practices to support medical cadres in the UAE’s health sector.

“The new system establishes an integrated infrastructure to facilitate the assessment of PPEs and ensure they are up to the set standards. It also helps boost the national economy by enabling Emirati manufacturers to operate per international best practices, rendering them more competitive in regional and international markets,” Al Maeeni said.

“We will work to develop a plan to implement the new system in coordination and cooperation with the relevant authorities in the UAE. Under the provisions of the project, it will not be allowed to offer, trade or market any registered products without obtaining the UAE conformity certificate (ECAS) from MoIAT,” Al Maeeni added.

The system will cater to the requirements of healthcare and service sectors, as well as government entities tasked with quality control, WAM said. This, in turn, should enable more effective measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, in addition to accelerating post-Covid recovery.