The Ministry of Health is making arrangements for the coronavirus. The government has announced the order for "several tens of millions of masks", in case the epidemic develops in France. These are very precise masks, "FFP2", conical and thicker than the simple surgical masks that we see blooming in the streets.
SOS Doctor "counts on the authorities"
While many doctors and hospitals are already struggling to get supplies, the Ministry of Health is taking great measures to avoid the shortage. He asked the four companies that manufacture these masks in France to reserve more of their production for him. "Today we are already delivering a few million masks for the French State, and we are going to increase to a few tens of millions. We already know that on certain days, we will have difficulties, ruptures in raw materials", explains Gérald Heuliez , managing director of the Kolmi Hopen group, at the microphone of Europe 1.
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Despite the risk of rupture, the ministry hopes for an overall production of 35 to 40 million masks per month. Because to be effective, the nursing staff must change it every three hours. "In Paris, we have two masks per doctor. It will quickly run out, that's why we count on the authorities," said Serge Smaddja, secretary general of SOS Doctors. The health authorities also point out that these masks are intended primarily for doctors, the general public having for the moment "no need".