Canada Cannot Rely 'Solely' On Global Supply Chains For Medical Supplies - Health Official

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2020) Canada cannot solely rely on global supply chains to procure medical and personal protective equipment in the event of any future global public health emergencies, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo told reporters.

"We've... learned that we can't, in the future, necessarily depend solely on globalized supply chains [for medical and personal protective equipment]," Njoo said on Friday.

Njoo addressed the scrutiny that Canadian health officials have faced for the dwindling amount of reserve equipment in the country's National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) in advance of the pandemic.

"At the time, we were looking at the usual supply chain logistics, thinking that if we had a certain amount in the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, as well as what's in provincial and territorial reserves, we're well positioned should we need to order more.

But as we saw with what happened globally it was a very tight marketplace," Njoo said.

The deputy added that the strains on international supply chains at the height of the pandemic demonstrated the need for more domestic manufacturing and self-sufficiency.

The free flow of goods and supplies has emerged as a key issue at the peak of the pandemic, after a number of countries � Canada among them � suggested that the United States undercut them to procure essential medical equipment.

The Canadian effort to procure essential equipment continues to face difficulty, with the latest procurement data showing that Canada has received only of 13.2 percent of N95 masks, 5 percent of pairs of gloves and less than 1 percent of ventilators ordered.