Swiss army admits shortcomings in facing Covid challenge
The Armed Forces Pharmacy acknowledged mistakes in the process of securing medical supplies, including protective face masks, to combat the spread of the coronavirus last spring.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/gw
The pandemic presented a major logistical challenge that the organisation was not ready to meet, senior managers of the army pharmacy said at a press conference in Bern on Thursday. But, they added, “at no time were there supply gaps that would have affected the health system.”
In the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the Swiss government asked the army pharmacy to secure medical products, such as masks, personal protective equipment, respirators and disinfectants, for the cantons and health facilities. It was given this responsibility because it is the only unit of the federal administration that has a license for the wholesale acquisition of medicines and the certifications needed to procure medical goods.
Overnight the volume of acquisitions it was handling rose 150-fold from the normal quantity worth CHF16 million ($18 million). The pharmacy ordered 550 million masks and managed to buy 302 million of them. Today the country has a stock of 130 million masks.
“We certainly made mistakes in various areas and we also anticipated poorly,” said Werner Dreyer, head of monitoring at the Army Logistics Base. In addition to undertaking a transfer of its entire computer system at the height of the pandemic, the military pharmacy was also dealing with a world market that was under pressure, with longer delivery times than expected, the pharmacy managers said.
There were also reports that the quality of some of the masks was sub-standard and that the army had paid too much for them. Some 94% of the masks purchased are quality compliant, according to the head of the Army Logistics Base, Thomas Kaiser. An audit by the Federal Department of Defense is currently underway to determine if the price was in line with the market and whether quality standards were met.
The army pharmacy, which is now also responsible for storing and distributing the Covid vaccines, said 806,025 doses were in storage. To date 775,425 doses have been delivered to the cantons.
“All orders were processed on time,” said Dreyer, who added that cooperation with the authorities was smooth.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss militia soldiers get historic call up to fight coronavirus
This content was published on
The Swiss government is mobilising up to 8,000 members of the military to help the cantons fight the rapidly spreading coronavirus, Covid-19.
Switzerland imposes mask-wearing in indoor public spaces
This content was published on
New measures, including limiting spontaneous public gatherings to 15 people, come into force across the country on Monday.
This content was published on
More than 1,000 volunteers have picked up five tonnes of rubbish across Switzerland as part of the annual World Cleanup Day.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.