When the coronavirus linked its grip on Sweden, the health service was faced with a lack of personal protective equipment.
However, the problem of the regions 'and municipalities' preparedness for supply had been mentioned several times - before the pandemic.
An audit by the Swedish National Audit Office shows that the state's work to secure the supply of protective equipment was not effective.
The government certainly decided on measures, but the efforts were delayed - partly due to shortcomings in preparation and collaboration.
The National Audit Office believes that the government and responsible authorities should have done more to remedy the shortcomings long before the pandemic became a fact.
"The government and responsible authorities have neither set clear requirements for emergency stocks nor offered guidance on how to build them up," writes Auditor General Helena Lindberg in a comment.
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"Focused on other tasks"
When the government in mid-March 2020 commissioned the National Board of Health and Welfare, and funds, to secure the supply of goods in health and care, there was already a shortage of protective equipment.
At the same time as consumption increased, the market was limited and prices rose.
Collaboration between authorities should also be improved, according to the National Audit Office, which provides as an example that the Swedish Public Health Agency and the Swedish Work Environment Authority had difficulty agreeing on common messages on how protective equipment should be used.
In addition, the county administrative boards were unsure whether they had a mandate to assist the National Board of Health and Welfare without a special government assignment.
In times of crisis, it is tested how responsible authorities handle their responsibilities and roles.
The authorities focused on their other core tasks rather than on coordinating their measures for effective crisis management.
The county administrative boards' hesitation was unjustified and contributed to an unnecessary delay in the state's crisis management ", writes Helena Lindberg.
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Hear SVT's reporter Mikael Grill explain how the authorities handled the oral protection issue.
Photo: Karin Fallenius / SVT / TT