Britain denied protective gear at peak of Covid-19 as supplier prioritised China: Report
PPE kits
The United Kingdom's publicly-funded healthcare systems National Health Service (NHS) was deprived of large amounts of protective gear at the height of the coronavirus pandemic after a French firm contracted to supply millions of masks allegedly prioritised more lucrative deals with deep-pocketed clients including a Chinese state-owned energy company, according to a report in The Guardian.
According to the report, the French company Valmy failed to fulfil the terms of a £1.2m contract with the NHS to supply about 7 million masks in the event of a pandemic.
According to the contract, Valmy was required to respond rapidly to the NHS order and begin deliveries within weeks.
However, according to the report, instead of prioritising the NHS the company increased production for other customers as mask prices soared.
The report quoting two senior NHS procurement officials stated that the PPE contracts encountered significant difficulties in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak.
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