Swiss army admits shortcomings in facing Covid challenge
The army faced criticism last year over its ability to secure enough masks for the population, after the federal government gave the military pharmacy responsibility for procurement of medical goods.
Keystone / Ennio Leanza
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.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
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.