2021 Reports 10 and 11 of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada—Federal organizations worked together to address provinces’ and territories’ needs for protective and medical equipment

2021 Reports 10 and 11 of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of CanadaFederal organizations worked together to address provinces’ and territories’ needs for protective and medical equipment

Ottawa, 26 May 2021—A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons concludes that Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Health Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) helped address the needs of provincial and territorial governments for personal protective equipment and medical devices during the pandemic. These equipment and devices include N95 masks, medical gowns, testing swabs and ventilators.

The audit found that at the onset of the pandemic, PHAC lacked some of the systems and practices it needed to properly manage and operate the country’s stockpile of emergency equipment. The Agency had known for over a decade that these issues existed. As a result, it was not as prepared as it could have been to respond to the increased demand for personal protective equipment and medical devices that came from the provinces and territories. However, as the pandemic progressed, the Agency improved how it assessed needs and allocated equipment to help meet demand.

The audit also found that Health Canada modified how it managed equipment suppliers’ license applications to help keep up with the rapidly increasing demand, and PHAC adjusted its quality assurance process to address the large volume of equipment needing to be assessed. PSPC, meanwhile, mobilized to support the quick purchase of large quantities of equipment in a market where supply was not always keeping pace with demand.

“Overall, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada helped address the needs of provincial and territorial governments for personal protective equipment and medical devices”, said Ms. Hogan. “Faced with a crisis, these organizations worked around their outstanding issues with the management and oversight of the emergency equipment stockpile and adapted their activities.”

The 2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, Report 10—Securing Personal Protective Equipment and Medical Devices is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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