“It’s totally incomprehensible”

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The federal government knew exactly how many protective masks are needed in an emergency. Still, there was a shortage of face masks at the start of the corona pandemic. Hygiene masks were scarce in doctors’ surgeries, nursing homes and in the military. So tight that health care workers had to wear the existing ones for much longer than recommended.

At the time, the federal government said masks wouldn’t help. Internal logs later revealed that authorities also communicated this way because masks were missing.

The federal government still does not have a mandatory mask store

Today, three years later, it is clear: there are still no mandatory stocks for protective masks, the Bundesamt für Landseconomic Supply (BWL) reports. However, some of the reserves procured by the federal government during the pandemic are still available in the Army pharmacy. The BWL therefore advises households to keep 50 hygiene masks in emergency stock per person.

For the Thurgauer SVP state councilor Verena Herzog (67) is incomprehensible. “That is completely incomprehensible. Should another catastrophe occur, hyperventilation will occur again,’ she says when asked by Blick. In addition, you eventually have to pay ten times the normal price again. “This must not happen again!”

Zurich Greenland Councilor Bastien Girod (42), who had already criticized the federal government during the pandemic, also thinks this is irresponsible. “It should be clear to everyone today that masks can help prevent lockdowns and protect health,” he says.

“Urgent action needed”

The responsible authorities seem to have very little learning ability, or at least a lack of willingness to learn, says Herzog. She is a member of the National Council Committee on Social Security and Health (SGK-N). Herzog now sees an urgent need for organization and action.

Girod also assumes that this mistake will be corrected quickly, otherwise the House of Representatives will have to intervene.

According to the BWL, an analysis is currently underway with the relevant stakeholders as to which strategy should be used to ensure supply in the future. This ultimately results in the revisions of the pandemic plan and the Epidemics Act. (Okay)

Source:Blick