VDE is concerned that counterfeit products are flooding the market

Security is also important in crisis mode! With the VDE plausibility check, hospitals can quickly assess whether offered aids and medical devices are safe
VDE now offers hospitals the VDE check free of charge

In order to avert damage to patients, medical and nursing staff, VDE is now offering a plausibility check for medical devices and protective equipment - free of charge for hospitals, nursing facilities and doctors' practices until further notice. The CE mark is a prerequisite for marketing medical devices and protective equipment in Europe. Especially in the current crisis situation, it is affected by counterfeiting, but also by the weakening or suspension of rules that guarantee the safety and quality of medical devices and protective equipment. "We view this development with concern. In the course of the corona pandemic, rules that ensure the safety and quality of medical devices and protective equipment will be weakened or suspended. It is understandable that in this way, missing medical supplies can be provided more quickly by lowering the demands on manufacturers or providers. However, this must not be done at the expense of the safety of patients and health personnel," warns Dr. Cord Schlötelburg of VDE. The VDE check allows a quick initial assessment of whether a product offered comes from reputable sources and may be marketed at all, or whether the declaration of conformity appears questionable and the product could therefore endanger patients and staff.
Beware of fake CE marking
Hospitals are in crisis mode, it is still unclear when the peak of the corona pandemic will reach Germany. Within the shortest possible time, they must build up treatment capacities for the expected seriously ill patients and urgently need medical devices and protective equipment to do so. Medical practices and health care facilities such as nursing homes also urgently need additional supplies, aids and medical-technical equipment. "Protective equipment is also in short supply in nursing homes," Dr. Cord Schlötelburg explains the situation. Supply bottlenecks, lack of production capacity and dependence on third parties painfully illustrate the current problems and failures of the past. "Based on our experience of more than 125 years of product safety, we assume that the current crisis situation in conjunction with lowered safety standards will lead to an increase in the number of medical devices and protective equipment with a counterfeit CE mark being offered," says the medical technology expert. Hospitals, nursing homes, doctors' practices and other purchasers of these products are therefore confronted with the situation of having to assess whether the products on offer meet the safety and quality requirements and come from reputable suppliers. "Medical care is a critical infrastructure. Therefore, the aim must be to ensure medical care, save lives and protect medical and nursing staff. VDE has stood for consumer protection and safety for 125 years. The free VDE check is our contribution to help in a pandemic," says Schlötelburg.
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