With the coronavirus endangering the supplies of medicines, the N-VA advocates an emergency stock

“The government must build up an emergency stock of antibiotics.” The N-VA is concerned that the coronavirus is endangering supplies of medicines. “China is by far the largest supplier of raw materials for medicines. Without the Chinese factories, there is no paracetamol, cholesterol-lowering products or antibiotics.”

Worrying signals

A great many of those Chinese factories are located in the province of Hubei, in which the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan is located. “Quite apart from the concern of whether we as Europeans have today become too dependent on the Chinese market, we must prepare ourselves for a number of shortages of supplies in the near future,” the N-VA warns. They have already received alarming signals. “For example, Germany’s ‘Tageschau’ news programme is reporting that the factory of United Laboratories is manufacturing at its ‘lowest level’. That factory is a major manufacturer of the raw material for all antibiotics sold worldwide,” the N-VA says.

No Belgian measures

The N-VA is calling on the federal government to build up emergency stocks. When factories shut down for a long time it has immediate consequences on the processing of those raw materials into medicines ready for use. “In the US Senate, a hearing has taken place on the matter, while in Belgium not a single word has yet been uttered about this and as far as we know no measures have been taken either.”

Negligent policy

For the N-VA, the Belgian approach bears witness to a negligent policy. “I have repeatedly urged Minister De Block to take action. In a screening by the WHO about the extent to which a country is prepared for the outbreak of an epidemic or pandemic, Belgium scores zero and here too, no action is being taken. That is nothing short of scandalous!”