HSV mobilises teams to safeguard health supplies during Middle East crisis

When the US launched Operation Epic Fury in Iran on 28 February this year, teams across HealthShare Victoria (HSV) sprang into action. With the experience of the Covid pandemic and Ukraine war impacts still fresh in our minds, we knew that HSV has an important role to play in managing Victoria’s health sector supply chain during a crisis.

“In a crisis such as the Middle East conflict, there are two main areas of concern for HSV’s procurement team,” says Sarah Bryant, HSV’s Chief Procurement Officer.

“Surety of supply is vital – making sure our health services get the products they need to continue patient care. Managing cost increases is also extremely important, especially when health service budgets are already very tight.”

Within days of the outbreak of war, our Surety team determined which suppliers have their products originating in the Middle East and reached out to them to assess potential impacts on supply. They also contacted suppliers with products originating from Europe, where freight issues could delay products reaching Victorian health services.

The Surety team has followed up on a range of issues arising from the conflict, including the supply of surgical gloves and availability of helium gas, a critical component in MRI scanners. Qatar produces about a third of the world’s helium, and attacks on its gas infrastructure halted helium production. The team determined no immediate issues affecting glove supply and that local helium suppliers have ample stock, since they source the gas from various parts of the world.

“Fortunately, to date no Victorian health sector suppliers have identified risks to supply, with many increasing their production and stock holding of critical products,” Sarah says.

“However, we are starting to see some indicators of future manufacturing issues and we are working on mitigation strategies for any shortages.”  

With support from Safer Care Victoria and the Department of Health in 2022, HSV created a critical supply register (CSR) to address ongoing supply chain challenges. The CSR identified over 1,000 critical products to support continuity of supply at Victorian public health services, with a focus on clinical specialties that serve large patient cohorts, such as cardiovascular, emergency and critical care.

“Our Surety, Pharmaceutical and Clinical Product Advice teams have reviewed and updated the register to ensure we are focusing on the right products for today’s health sector needs, and we are now collaborating with the Department of Health and clinicians to capture their expertise and advice on the updated CSR,” Sarah says.

Liquid fuel supply is another area of concern for health services. Fuel shortages could impact deliveries of critical products to hospitals, affect the ability of staff to get to work and impact the use of back-up generators.

HSV is collaborating with the Department of Health on a fuel supply coordination management team, and contributing to a health services protection plan to support prioritisation of critical services to the health sector in the event of fuel shortages. 

As well as working alongside Safer Care Victoria and the Department of Health on supply surety and pricing issues throughout the crisis so far, HSV has collaborated with a range of agencies and working groups at the state and federal level – and even across the Tasman.

We are part of the Therapeutic Goods Association’s Medicine Availability Working Group and Medical Device Shortage Group, a Victorian Government fuel supply coordination management team, the Department of Health’s health sector resilience network, and the Australia New Zealand Health Procurement Roundtable, among others.

“We are not working in vacuum – we are one of many agencies pulling together to help our health services continue to operate and ultimately safeguard the health of Victorians,” Sarah says.

If you are a health service or supplier with information about potential supply shortages, you can let us know via our Product supply alert form.