Saline solution is essential in clinics – for example for infusions after operations. After reports of delivery problems, Health Minister Lauterbach announced measures.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to bridge supply bottlenecks for saline solution through imports. A spokesman for the German Press Agency said Lauterbach would temporarily create the conditions for the import of saline solutions as medicine. The minister is reacting to a manufacturer’s production problems that could only be resolved in a few weeks. Saline solution is important for, among other things, infusions and operations.
The spokesman explained that this would make imports on a larger scale possible. At the moment, imports require individual permits from the respective state authorities.
The “Rheinische Post” reported on problems at the weekend. There is currently far too little saline solution, Thomas Preis, head of the North Rhine Pharmacists’ Association, was quoted as saying. A spokesman for the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Health said that clinics from North Rhine-Westphalia had approached the ministry because they were having great problems obtaining a sufficient supply of sterile isotonic saline solution.
“Saline solutions are fundamental in operations and also in cancer therapy. That’s why we are using every opportunity to avoid delivery bottlenecks and will allow imports,” said Lauterbach. Saline solution is used for infusions (“drips”) to compensate for fluid losses in the body or as a carrier solution for administering medication.
The Federal Ministry of Health speaks of temporary delivery bottlenecks and had already emphasized at the weekend that a delivery bottleneck does not mean a supply bottleneck. It is assumed that the situation will improve in the short term.