Government wants faster replenishment of protective masks

When treating corona patients, doctors and nurses are not allowed to infect themselves - but there is a lack of protective clothing that is urgently needed in everyday clinical practice. The federal government is trying to hurry, the opposition is calling for a "pandemic economy".

Berlin (dpa) - In order to curb the lack of protective masks and gowns in the corona crisis, the federal government is trying to accelerate the purchase. To this end, it has started a special process in which supply contracts are concluded without further negotiations on the purchase price.

The "Welt am Sonntag" first reported about it. The so-called open-house procedure stipulates that providers can offer at least 25,000 surgical masks, protective coats or FFP2 mouthguards and the federal government buys them at a price that is determined by the federal government - this is easier and faster than the usual public procurement law Tenders.

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) told the newspaper that the federal government procures medical protective equipment from all over the world and thus supplies all federal states and statutory health insurance associations. "We offer fair, fixed prices for everyone who supplies us with protective masks and gowns from home and abroad."

Clinics and other facilities have recently complained of an acute lack of protective equipment, which is necessary for the treatment and care of corona patients. It is not enough to increase the number of intensive care beds if there is a lack of basic equipment. Spahn had also admitted last Thursday that the procurement of protective equipment was not easy. A day later, on Friday, the open house process for faster purchases started, as can be seen from the public offer.

Leftists and Greens are for companies to increasingly produce products that are needed during the crisis. Production areas that "really do nothing to solve the pandemic crisis" should change, said Linke boss Katja Kipping. It should be examined to what extent "armaments manufacturers" like Rheinmetall can produce medical goods instead of armaments.

Green leader Annalena Baerbock once again called for a "pandemic economy" in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung" and sees companies as willing to do so. Manufacturers of ventilators are "ready to ramp up production to the maximum", the federal government has to "guarantee the purchase" for a certain amount. Baerbock had told the editorial network in Germany that textile manufacturers, spirits producers or mechanical engineers were converting, but this had to be coordinated.

Criticism of Baerbock's request came from the FDP: "What is said is the pandemic economy. Specifically, this means state economy", said Parliamentary Managing Director of the FDP in the Bundestag, Marco Buschmann, the German Press Agency. The demand for ventilators will "be high worldwide for years". However, FDP parliamentary group leader Michael Theurer also demanded that Germany must switch to the "pandemic economy".

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) must "speak very specifically with the industry so that the masks of security levels FFP2 and FFP3 can be quickly produced in large numbers in Germany," said Theurer. Because the production costs in Germany are higher, it will "not work without purchase guarantees". FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann called for an "airlift" to organize the transportation of equipment from China to Germany.

Federal Government's offer