Heat’s on over inaccurate thermometers

Quality watchdogs are checking medical thermometers made by a famous local brand following complaints that they are giving inaccurate results.

The Shanghai Food and Drug Administration has ordered drug stores citywide to stop selling medical mercury thermometers made by the Shanghai Huachen Medical Instrument Co Ltd.

This comes after a resident surnamed Li complained to Shanghai Television that his wife took medication for a week unnecessarily because a Huachen thermometer gave her a wrong reading.

Doctors eventually told her that she didn't have a fever.

Huachen claims that the thermometer involved was counterfeit.

The company has a market share of around 70 percent in Shanghai and its thermometers are widely used at local hospitals, the TV report said.

Thermometers tested by Li and reporters were sent to the Shanghai Institute of Measurement and Testing Technology. It found quality problems with three made by Huachen.

The bureau is now testing samples of thermometers from the company.