Calibrating Resilience Strategies for PPE: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study addresses the critical issue of healthcareHealthcare supply chainSupply chain resilienceResilience in the context of personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages experienced during the COVID-19COVID-19 pandemicPandemic. With the pandemic highlighting severe vulnerabilities in the healthcare supply chain, particularly in PPE procurement, the study emphasizes the necessity for robust resilience strategies. It outlines the dual crisis faced by the healthcareHealthcare sector: an unprecedented demand surge and a disruption of supply chainsSupply chain, primarily due to containment measures impact on production. The paper critiques the limitations of conventional responses, such as stockpiling and diversification of supply sources, especially in industrialized nations where cost considerations often lead to offshoring production. By examining the Canadian experience and incorporating theoretical and practical insights, the study proposes a nuanced model for formulating infection prevention supplies resilienceResilience strategies. This model is tailored to the specific characteristics of the PPE supply chainSupply chain and the varying nature of PPE items, offering a more sustainable approach to managing healthcareHealthcare supply chain vulnerabilities in pandemicPandemic scenarios. This model will help decision-makers determine an ideal level of stock to keep, based on scenarios of rising demand and supply chain recovery time. To understand the assumptions underlying the model, this chapter will present the findings of work carried out in the public healthHealth system of the province of Quebec concerning PPE management during the first months of the COVID-19COVID-19 pandemic.