The criticism of the actions of the Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) is getting louder.
The allegations about the protective masks distributed by Spahn are particularly serious.
Berlin - Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) is facing increasing criticism.
The masks that the Ministry of Health distributed last year were particularly critical of his actions - they were of inferior quality and may have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes.
The Federal Ministry of Health has distributed a total of 230 million masks in the country since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
All models sent have been adequately tested and found to be safe.
Jens Spahn has insisted on this since the criticism became louder.
The problem: The masks were only checked in a short process, which in retrospect apparently turned out to be inadequate and defective.
By then, however, nursing homes, hospitals and schools had already used the masks.
Masks from the Ministry of Health: Massive quality deficiencies
Jens Spahn also wanted to distribute the masks to people with disabilities, the homeless and Hartz IV recipients - and at a time when there was no longer any shortage of masks. The result was a clash in the coalition. The SPD-led Ministry of Labor stopped the delivery of the masks and demands for resignation were raised against Spahn. However, with Angela Merkel's support, the Union claims that there is nothing in the allegations. The masks are now to land in a national emergency reserve, where they are theoretically ready for the next pandemic. However, this was not decided last year, but only a few weeks ago and has been in effect since June 1, 2021.
Last year, several state governments withdrew such masks from Spahns.
Schleswig-Holstein alone sent 3.7 million masks back due to quality defects.
Other countries, on the other hand, relied on the statements of the Federal Ministry of Health and used the masks - people in nursing homes, schools, food banks, homeless shelters and workshops for the disabled received the defective masks, which in some cases only filter half of the particles out of the air, instead of the intended 95 Percent.
Inadequate Spahn masks could have contributed to the corona outbreak in the nursing home
The masks from China distributed by the Ministry of Health were tested in a rapid process, with six instead of eight test steps. The heat test and usage simulation were left out. The procedure was based on the rapid tests that the federal states and their Central Office for Safety Technology (ZLS) had established at the beginning of the pandemic. The Ministry of Health is now keeping test results under lock and key.
Subsequent tests in various countries had repeatedly shown massive deficiencies, which is why the protective masks were withdrawn from use.
A case in Schleswig-Holstein, of which the
Spiegel is
now reporting,
is particularly shocking
.
There, the “Bergheim” care facility in Boostedt received 1,000 masks from Berlin on December 18.
In January, 23 residents and 10 employees of the house were infected.
Five residents died.
The leader had relied on the promises of the federal government - with possibly fatal consequences.
The masks were then tested by a specialist company in Kiel, where they found poor quality and protective function.
Kubicki versus Spahn: Vice President of the Bundestag calls for an investigative committee
Now the Vice-Chairman of the Liberals, Wolfgang Kubicki, has announced that the FDP will request an investigation committee into the government's corona management after the federal election. "It needs a parliamentary review after the election," emphasized Kubicki on Saturday. Kubicki, also Vice President of the Bundestag, criticized, among other things, the purchase of "unsuitable masks" by the Ministry of Health and found clear words: "It is a human and legal mess when you fool people into safety that does not exist." Other points of criticism of the procedure From Jens Spahn he mentioned: the test strategy and the claim that the intensive care units were at their limit nationwide because of the pandemic should be examined.Despite the criticism, the Ministry of Health vehemently rejects any allegations. (
dpa / at)