The Orders of the health professions took offense in a scathing text of the "staggering" number of masks announced for sale by the large distribution, which denies having taken advantage of the situation to store masks. “Every war has its profiteers. It is unfortunately an intangible law of our conflicts. How can we explain that our caregivers could not have been equipped with masks when we announced with much reinforcement of rowdy communication of the staggering figures of masks sold to the public by certain distribution channels ", indignant the professionals in this text signed by seven professional orders, including that of Doctors.
"Today, consternation is combined with disgust", "where were these masks when our doctors, our nurses, our pharmacists, our dentists, our masseurs-physiotherapists, our podiatrist-podiatrists, our midwives but also all of our staff directly affected by the disease trembled and fell every morning? », They wonder in this text entitled« The masks fall ».
"Increased indecency"
"How will our patients, especially the most fragile, who were told until yesterday that they could not benefit from adequate protection, will they understand that what did not exist yesterday is becoming abundant today . 100 million here, 50 million there. Who says better ? It is the escalation of indecency ”, deplore health professionals.
“No one would have criticized consumer distribution channels for distributing consumer masks. This was an essential complement which would usefully complement the arsenal of defense against the virus. Behind the mask is the real face. We will keep that of dignity. This one will not be found in any shelving ”, they continue.
“Hopefully the time will come to be accountable. In the meantime, we will continue our mission as health professionals, because it is our commitment. However, with the bitterness of saying that responsibility is not the best shared of all the virtues ”, concludes this text signed by the presidents of the national councils of the Order of Doctors, Midwives, Nurses , dentists, masseurs-physiotherapists, pedicures-podiatrists and pharmacists.
"No hidden stocks"
"The retail chains are not, and have never been, in charge of the purchase and supply of masks for caregivers," replied the Federation of Commerce and Distribution. "Attributing supply difficulties to them is therefore false and dishonest," according to a press release.
The federation argues that the large distribution has given the stocks of FFP2 masks to health professionals from the beginning of the crisis, and made many donations to hospitals and that until recently, the signs were not allowed to sell masks.
They will be able to do so from May 4. "There are no hidden stocks," insists the federation, which argues that the figures announced "relate to orders placed, which will only be delivered very gradually, with faster availability of disposable masks than reusable cloth masks ”.
Society
Coronavirus: A ceiling of 0.95 euro cents for surgical masks, but not for textiles
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