In this month of April, the government had to resolve to destroy some 98.5 million euros of masks, test equipment and medicines, either because of their expiry or their unsatisfactory quality. Information broadcast by RTBF at the beginning of April and which L’Echo confirms in detail on Thursday.
Here is the material concerned by these destructions:
– Nearly 25 million euros of expired equipment: including 8.4 of serological tests acquired in April 2020.
– 6.4 million euros of PCR test kits are also mentioned, or even 3.9 million euros of tubes that the FPS Health tried in vain to resell to clinical laboratories.
– To these amounts are added 52 million euros for personal protective equipment. Mainly masks (surgical and protective) which do not pass the quality test protocols and which the Federal Public Service Economy therefore does not authorize the distribution, specifies the Minister of Health.
The destruction of all these stocks will cost approximately 1.3 million. Finally, Defense has requested the destruction of just under 7 million masks stored within it. This is what remains of the 18 million units acquired in May 2020 from the companies Avrox and Tweeds&Coton to be distributed to the population. The value of the stock is estimated at 17.3 million euros. Contacted by L’Echo, the Vandenbroucke firm declined to comment.
The Ministry of Health proposes the creation of an advice platform to better manage stocks in the future.
