Ombudsman warns on expired CSI masks

Lax procedures for the disposal of expired masks could have led to some of the government-use masks manufactured by the Correctional Services Department to be sold in the market, the Ombudsman says.

The "CSI" masks are supposed to be used by civil servants as well as non-governmental organizations after they are supplied to the Government Logistics Department by the CSD.

But the watchdog has received 14 public complaints about seeing the masks in the market earlier this year amid the acute shortage at the onset of the pandemic.

Following the complaints, the Customs and Excise Department seized the masks sold by a local pharmacy, and found two boxes of the masks printed with the manufacture dates "09 Oct 2014" and "21 Nov 2014."

"The masks on sale in the market were probably expired CSI masks, which should have been discarded," the Ombudsman said.

Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin said that seven government departments - the CSD, Government Logistics Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, customs, Census and Statistics Department, Registration and Electoral Office, and Electrical and Mechanical Services Department - were found to have inconsistent practices for disposing the expired masks.

She said one of the seven departments would assign staff to cut and destroy expired masks and their boxes, which would then be discarded in fastened plastic garbage bags.

"One department had retained expired masks for contingency use. Such a measure was taken when there was an acute shortage of masks [at the onset of the pandemic]," she said.

Another department had kept about 2,800 expired masks in good condition and distributed them to 250 staffers for contingency use when the pandemic started, Chiu said.

It was understandable that the decision to keep or distribute the expired masks was made after balancing the pros and cons, but the Ombudsman was concerned that using them might potentially harm personal and public health, she said.

"The quality and filtration efficiency of masks might become lower after expiry," she said.

Meanwhile, Chiu said that lax mechanisms in some departments for distributing CSI masks might have caused the masks given to civil servants to be sold via their family or friends.

"The government regulations do not mandate how the distribution of low-value consumable items, such as face masks, should be carried out or recorded, before or after the outbreak of Covid-19," Chiu said.

The Ombudsman recommended the GLD to issue guidelines on the disposal and distribution of CSI masks, to ensure the masks won't be used beyond their expiry date and that disposed masks cannot be sold in the market.

A GLD spokesman said that the department accepted the recommendations and would actively follow up on them.