Sir, – I think that we need to go about making Europe self-sufficient in the production of key medical supplies.
We have drifted into an unhealthy dependence on outside countries, but especially on China, for key medical equipment and supplies generally and, it seems, personal protection equipment (PPE) in particular.
The result has been that, during the current crisis, EU countries have been independently chasing supplies, and sometimes almost bidding against each other, in attempts to source them.
The people who have suffered as a result are our frontline medical people. Tragically it has cost some of them their lives, and that has to be totally unacceptable.
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To make production viable and competitive some financial assistance would probably be necessary, and this should be provided by the EU. It’s done for agri-products, so why not for medical supplies?
We need to prepare for the next pandemic. – Yours, etc,
BILL POWER,
Tramore,
Co Waterford.