Respirators, gloves, or disinfectants are difficult to get in the corona crisis. The market is like a jungle. Aid organizations such as the Bavarian Red Cross are fighting their way through.
The boss helps himself. Leonhard Stark, managing director of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), uses two Johanniter to secure their cargo. There is protective material in the boxes that you have just balanced in the truck. Breathing masks, gloves, also disinfectants. Things that the helpers of the BRK, the Johannitern or the Maltese need in order not to endanger themselves. Only they are extremely rare everywhere.
But 50 tons of it are in this warehouse west of Munich. Civilian police officers guarded the building day and night before things are distributed by the BRK to its own district associations and other aid organizations today. Officials are now keeping an eye on the handover. "Unfortunately, there is no other way," says BRK boss Stark. Even BRK ambulances have recently been broken open. Because medical items such as respiratory masks, which used to cost small cents before the crisis, are coveted stolen goods in these times. Prices went up like on the gold market, said Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) yesterday.
Protective equipment is also worth its weight in gold for the helpers. "Today was red for all of us on the calendar," says Christoph Treubel, who has an overview of the material inventory at the BRK - on a voluntary basis. Without the long-awaited replenishment delivery, the stocks would have been used up in a few days. Now this problem should be solved at least for the next 14 days.
Treubel says that if he had thought about the difficulties that a pandemic could bring before the crisis, a lot would have occurred to him. "But I would never have dreamed that everyone would suddenly start buying disinfectants." Nobody had considered these psychological effects in the population. "And now we're paying euros for cents."
BRK boss Starkk has just called a car supplier who has now switched to the production of respiratory masks. “For 6.90 euros each,” says Stark, with the phone still in his hand. It is great that the economy wants to help. Only: "They usually cost eight cents." He first referred the company to the ministry.
The BRK has been working on organizing replenishments for weeks. The crisis has turned the market into a jungle. "There are a lot of dubious providers on the way," says Treubel. People who allegedly let contacts in China play against 30 percent prepayment. "Of course we don't go into that," says Treubel. The 50 tons that can be distributed today come partly from what the federal government has provided. In part, the BRK procured the things itself through a subsidiary.
The amount with which the BRK has also made advance payments for this is approaching a double-digit million sum, says Treubel. "And we do not know whether we will get this money back." The other organizations would not be billed for this delivery either. At the same time, the CRC inevitably canceled all first aid courses during the crisis, closed day care facilities, and suspended disabled transport services. Say: There is hardly any money coming in right now.