German Ventilator Manufacturer: “Absolutely Mission Impossible”
Dräger: We are waiting for it. The U.S. authorities have made a request for 100,000 ventilators. That likely exceeds the annual production capacity of all manufacturers. It is absolutely mission impossible. And even that number won’t be enough. We applied to take on part of the delivery, because we have a responsibility as the biggest manufacturer.
DER SPIEGEL: When will a shortage begin developing for filters, tubes and other components for the ventilators?
Dräger: It already has. When it comes to parts supplies, we have observed a phenomenon similar to the one with toilet paper. There is panic buying going on, but by hospitals – and it is to everyone’s detriment. The parts come from all over the world, including from Turkey. I very much hope that the supply chains remain intact despite the protectionism. If someone decides to disrupt them, there will no longer be any ventilators, for anyone.
DER SPIEGEL: Your company also manufactures face masks. Have you ramped up their production like you did with the ventilators?
Dräger: Yes, but the situation is different. When it comes to the ventilators, the demand is so high that we could produce 10 times what we do now. The demand for masks is so high, we could easily sell 100 times what we do now. But that is utopian. We have doubled production and can’t do more than that. The masks are produced by fully automated machines that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
DER SPIEGEL: Where is the demand for the masks coming from right now?
Dräger: One example: The authorities in the U.S. want to buy 500 million masks. That is simply impossible, for anyone.
DER SPIEGEL: Why aren’t there enough masks out there?
Dräger: When the crisis started, speculators quickly stepped in. They bought masks by the container, and are now selling them at extortionate prices. And then there’s the fact that many people who don’t work in hospitals believe they need to wear masks.
DER SPIEGEL: The German government banned the export of face masks early on. Hasn’t that helped?
Dräger: The French president said he wanted to halt exports and confiscate protective gear. Then Germany followed, and there was a chain reaction. The problem is that there are no large mask producers in Germany. In our case, masks only make up 0.3 percent of our revenue. We manufacture them in Sweden and South Africa. The stop in exports means that other countries are also holding onto the items they produce.
DER SPIEGEL: The Association of General Practitioners in the state of Lower Saxony has released sewing instructions for protective masks, claiming that you can make your own masks out of dishtowels. Is that a good idea?
Dräger: If it helps people on the streets feel safer, then why not? That will leave more specialized products for doctors and nurses.
DER SPIEGEL: How can a supply bottleneck be avoided in the future?