SINGAPORE - A medical equipment company has been fined $10,000 after it unlawfully made more than two million surgical masks during the Covid-19 outbreak even though it did not have a manufacturer’s licence to do so.

Inno Medical was convicted on Tuesday of an offence under the Health Products Act.

It was incorporated on April 15, 2020, to make surgical masks during the pandemic.

The company bought a mask manufacturing machine from China and began production in June 2020.

It started selling the masks the following month.

But the company submitted an application to the Medical Devices Branch (MDB) of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for a manufacturer’s licence to make and supply the masks only in 2021.

MDB found that Inno Medical stated on its website that it had been making surgical masks since 2020 – before it had a licence to do so.

Investigations showed that the surgical masks the company manufactured were sold by various sellers on platforms such as e-commerce site Shopee.

Inno Medical had also sold the masks to local businesses and individuals.

The masks were advertised to have a bacterial filtration efficiency of 98 per cent and that they were made in Singapore.

HSA prosecuting counsel Vishnu Aditya Naidu said: “On June 22, 2021, MDB ordered the accused company to (cease) the manufacture and supply of the surgical masks, to remove the products from the retail shelves and to remove online sale listings of the said masks. The accused company complied.

“Subsequently, MDB reviewed the accused company’s application for the manufacturer’s licence.”

Inspections were conducted on the premises where the masks were manufactured, and the affected areas were found to be clean and well maintained.

Individuals also wore the necessary personal protection equipment before they entered the production area. Court documents did not disclose details about the equipment.

Inno Medical was granted a licence to manufacture surgical masks on July 8, 2021.