Covid-19: Locals to fill the medical supply chain

The NSW Government is calling on manufacturers around the State to help fill gaps in the global supply of medical equipment and hygiene products, redeploying spare capacity to save lives and jobs.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres today launched a portal for companies to offer to build parts or supply eight urgently needed items during the COVID-19 crisis.

Ms Berejiklian said the world was running short on hand sanitiser, handwash soap, gloves, cleaning products, protective clothing, masks, eyewear and paper products.

“This is a call to arms for NSW manufacturers to look at ways to convert production lines into making the items we so desperately need,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We have the ability within NSW to meet our local demand and the Government is moving to help manufacturers re-tool quickly to achieve this.

“Importantly, providing this opportunity to manufacturers will also allow some businesses to keep people in jobs when they may not have been able to do so.”

Local alcohol makers are already converting to produce items such as hand sanitiser, while other firms have switched to face masks, providing much-needed equipment while keeping their business going and safeguarding jobs.

With supply of Personal Protective Equipment and disinfectant expected to be constrained for at least 12 months, further opportunities exist for other NSW companies to join them.

Mr Ayres said the Government will use information provided through the portal to connect the supply chain so more finished products can be provided where needed.

“This is an opportunity for businesses to not only diversify their supply but produce incredibly important products for our State in a time of need,” Mr Ayres said.

“We will work to find solutions to provide our hospitals and our people with the protection they need, while keeping as many workers as possible in a job,” Mr Ayres said.

Businesses can register their interest from Wednesday, 1 April.