War in the Middle East causes tensions in the production of medical equipment

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A French factory at full capacity, yet threatened by the global oil crisis. In Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain), in workshops, nearly 1,000 single-use medical objects are manufactured every day. “All that is made here are medical devices, used for everything related to respiratory care therapy“, describes Thierry Bieler, the general director of Int’ Air Medical.

All are made of plastic, like essential tubes for patients in intensive care. But with the war in Iran, their production cost increased by 25%. “We will roughly find ourselves with increases of around 30 to 40,000 euros per month for raw materials. If I don’t increase my prices, in three months, we’ll stop, that’s obvious. We won’t be able to continue.”deplores the director.

Here, the majority of plastic is imported from the Middle East. However, the circulation of oil necessary for the manufacture of plastic has slowed down significantly. Polyethylene, one of the most used plastics in the world, here in the form of balls, has seen its price skyrocket: from 824 to 1,055 euros per tonne. As a result at the Gonesse hospital (Val-d’Oise), where there are 950 beds, the bill for essential equipment has ballooned. “We have a supplier of gowns who asked us for a price increase, linked to the current geopolitical context”explains Clara Brunel, the purchasing director of GHT Plaine de France. Plus 15% increase.

For its daily purchases, the hospital devotes a third of its budget, 30 million euros per year. But with these increases, the deficit risks widening. “It is very likely that the establishment will have to bear an increase in its purchasing expenses”she continues. If for the moment the Ministry of Health claims not to have identified any shortages of equipment, the authorities concede potential risks in the longer term.