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Ongoing shortages of medical equipment causing concern as Covid-19 continues to disrupt supply chains

May 11, 2021

The disruption to global supply chains caused by Covid-19 is far from over, with hospitals being hit by shortages of drugs and other key surgical equipment.

Those on the frontline of patient care in NZ are worried that crucial medical supplies are still scarce over a year after Covid-19 started affecting supply lines around the world.

Health authorities have juggled global shortages of drugs like anaesthetics and other key surgical equipment during the pandemic.

Operating theatres in NZ were put on notice last year when global supplies of the highly favoured anaesthetic, propofol, began running low.

"Propofol is a medication that I’d say just about every patient in New Zealand who gets an anaesthetic receives, it's very widely used,” Sally Ure of the College of Anaesthetists said.

Supply of another high-use product, suxamethonium, was also disrupted as Covid took hold.

“Suxamethonium is a muscle relaxant that we use when we need to secure someone's airway in an emergency when they've got a full stomach,” Ure said.

Hospitals were advised to conserve stock as New Zealand’s drug buying agency, Pharmac, sought alternative supplies.

Some specialists who don't want to be identified have told 1 NEWS they were concerned that operations would be affected if things had got worse.

Despite the challenges, health authorities say surgeries have gone ahead with no compromise to patient safety.

“It's about keeping across it, making sure the DHBs keep good track of the stock they've got. If it does look like they're running low, we're doing everything we can to stock people up, so that there's not disruption to health treatment,” Health Minister Andrew Little told 1 NEWS.

But there are on-going shortages including equipment for blood transfusions and intravenous drug supply, as well as sterile surgical sheets used to prevent infection.

“On a weekly basis I’m getting notifications of medications that are short,” Ure said.



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