A three-stage plan was planned: In the first step, masks and protective equipment left over from the pandemic should be stockpiled. In a second step, the reserve should be stocked up with goods such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices produced by local companies. The amount must therefore be sufficient to supply the health sector for one month. In the third phase, which was planned for 2023, continuous operation should begin and, in addition to physical storage, production capacities should be available for six months from now on.

But after almost three years, according to the house of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), the development of the reserve is still in phase one. “For phases two and three, no