Covid-19, Crisis, Latvia, Markets and Companies, Medicine

Karins said on Twitter that providing PPE to medics, police officers and other people involved in combating Covid-19 is a priority. 

At the same time, the prime minister underlined the necessity to dispel concerns about the purchases of this medical equipment. "I have called on the State Audit Office to carry out an urgent audit, inform the public and recommend improvements," Karins tweeted. 

The prime minister has already discussed the matter with Health Minister Ilze Vinkele (For Development/For). In case the state auditors find any irregularities in the PPE procurement, the health minister will have to take swift and resolute action to prevent dishonest people from taking advantage of the Covid-19 emergency for personal gains, the prime minister said. 

The Delfi portal wrote earlier this month that medical masks were divided into three categories - Type I, Type II and Type IIR, where the former had a bacterial filtration efficiency of 95%, Type II - 98%, and Type IIR - also 98% plus splash resistance. Latvia has bought Type I masks from the ADDI Trading company, which, for example, are not suitable for surgical operations, Delfi reported.

The Health Service's Director Edgars Labsvirs said at a press conference on Monday that, according to the European Union and World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines on the quality of face masks, recent media allegations that Type I face masks were not suitable for use at medical institutions were false.

Labsvirs emphasized that there were several guidelines - European, British, guidelines from the WHO, and none of them said that medical personnel could not use Type I masks.

Explaining the differences between Type I and Type II face masks, Labsvirs agreed that the former were not meant to be used in operating theaters and places with similar sterilization requirements, however, they can be used at healthcare facilities for Covid-19 protection purposes.

Health Minister Ilze Vinkele (For Development/For) pointed out that the entire EU was facing similar problems as Latvia, namely, purchases of personal protective equipment are difficult due to the increased demand.

She, too, said the allegations that medical protective equipment of questionable quality had been purchased were not true.