Hearing of Xavier Bertrand: the former minister denounces the management of masks

"A whole system has been eaten by a short-term and budgetary logic." Heard Thursday by the Assembly's committee of inquiry into the management of the Covid-19 epidemic, Xavier Bertrand did not mince his words. And these words have all the more weight since the man was in charge of the Ministry of Health twice: from 2005 to 2007, where he had to manage the epidemic of "avian" flu, and from 2010 to 2012 , following that of influenza A (H1N1).

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The hearing of the president of the Hauts-de-France regional council thus made it possible to review the health history of the past fifteen years, making the situation observed in recent months even more incomprehensible. Xavier Bertrand recalls that at the time, the world was threatened by a formidable plague, which was remembered under the name of "avian flu". The minister has the green light from Jacques Chirac to go to Asia and observe how the countries concerned (Vietnam, China, etc.) defend themselves. Meeting his Chinese counterpart, he heard himself explain that "in the event of a pandemic (and global need for masks) " China "will of course keep its production for itself" ...

Back in France, Xavier Bertrand is busy acquiring masks and supporting or creating national production units. "We hear today about medical sovereignty ," he says, "but we did it." Reaffirming the primacy of politics, he also recalls that in 2005 he was a young minister in the face of experts affirming that everything is ready. However, he decides, against their advice, to meet doctors who have written a column criticizing the lack of preparation. After a few moments, he remembers, " I realize that we are really not ready ". Regarding his second visit to the ministry, from 2010 to 2012, Xavier Bertrand tackles a controversial and political question head-on: was there a change of doctrine on masks and if so, on what date: 2011, below the right, or 2013, under the left? For him, documents in support, there is no change of doctrine in 2011, surgical masks and FFP2, reserved for professionals, always under strategic stocks. In 2013, on the other hand, a change of doctrine with the decision, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, to leave it to employers to "determine the advisability of building up stocks of masks" without actual State control.

Descent into the underworld

Beyond the controversy, which will continue to stir the political arena, an unavoidable reality: if it had been affected by the coronavirus in early 2012, France would have had 800 million surgical masks and 600 million FFP2 masks. In early 2017, the figures were 750 million surgical masks and very little FFP2. And in 2020, some 100 million surgical masks and no FFP2… How to explain this descent into hell sanitary?

Xavier Bertrand explains that between 2012 and 2020, prevention "lost its importance" under the pressure of a "budgetary logic". In the current crisis, the problem of masks has been "a problem of money almost from start to finish" . With a real democratic question: “We must never infantilize citizens by explaining to them that masks are not useful or that we will not be able to put them on. You have to tell them the truth. ” Now, he asserts, "it is scarcity which has fixed the doctrine . (…) If we made a mistake, we must take responsibility for it ” .