Government Operations Committee on March 22nd, 2021

[Cindy Evans]

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we've been working collaboratively with the provinces and the territories to understand their current supply situation. One important factor is the burn rate for supplies. This is an ongoing dialogue and that data sharing has been a really important part of our approach. We look to modelling in terms of what we're seeing with the pandemic from an epidemiological perspective as well as what we're seeing in terms of burn rates from the provinces and territories and the ordering that's happening.

Our jurisdictions are able to make purchases internationally and domestically, and we've spoken about the request-for-assistance proposal. In addition, there is sharing across the provinces if there are commodities that they feel are not going to be used. That is taken into account as we look at the stocks that are going to be required.

We have, primarily, put in place an eight-week supply across those primary commodities for the national emergency strategic stockpile. Individual jurisdictions are also looking to build their own stockpiles, and the levels of preparedness they have set for those varies. A number, for example, are setting themselves up to have a supply for 12 weeks or more.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Ms. Evans, this is the last question.

NESS also includes miniclinics for triage and minor treatment that are scalable and can be adopted to various circumstances to reduce the demand on existing medical care services. Has PHAC or NESS been approached to help with the administration of any of the vaccines in any of the provinces or territories?

[Cindy Evans]

The vaccine program is outside of my purview. What I can say today is that we have, through the effort [Technical difficulty—Editor], assisted in the delivery of [Technical difficulty—Editor] needles, sharps containers, syringes, fridges, freezers and dry ice. If there are specific questions with respect to the vaccine rollout, we would have to take those back to the department.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

In closing, how would you characterize the inventory situation that NESS is in right now for the PPE products available for distribution?

[Cindy Evans]

We are well situated with the supplies that we've received and the stockpile that we've been able to replenish in the strategic stockpile. We continue to receive bulk procurement supplies daily, which are immediately disbursed to the provinces. As my colleague from PSPC has said, we have galvanized the Canadian industry to help us be less reliant on external sources for some of these important commodities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Robert Gordon Kitchen]

Thank you, Ms. Evans.

We'll now go to Ms. Vignola, for six minutes.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My thanks also to the witnesses for joining us today.

Ms. Evans, how many ventilators did Canada receive from FTI Professional Grade Inc.?

[Cindy Evans]

I don't have that specific number on hand today.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Is it possible to send us that information to us quickly?

[Cindy Evans]

I'm sorry, but I didn't hear the second part of the question.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Is it possible to send us that information to us quickly?

[Cindy Evans]

We could certainly bring to the committee a global number for respirators that have been received.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Are you talking about the ventilators we have received from FTI Professional Grade?

[Cindy Evans]

I will turn to my colleague from PSPC to see if he has something to add, but we would be happy to provide the global number of ventilators that have been received by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

I don't know if Michael Mills would have anything to add to that information.

[Michael Mills]

We are currently, as I mentioned, negotiating and working with our vendors to reduce the total number taken. We are looking to have that wrapped up by the end of the year. We were looking to make our numbers public early in the new year, so that we would be able to come back in the early new year with the number of ventilators across manufacturers.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

If the number of ventilators we have bought from FTI Professional Grade is reduced, will the $237 million in our contract with that company also be reduced?

[Michael Mills]

No, not in the case of FTI. For the contract, we'll come back with the number of deliveries. Not all of the manufacturers will be reduced, so the contract did not reduce their deliveries.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

So there would be fewer ventilators, but the total cost would still be $237 million. One might wonder whether that is a good deal for us. But let's move on.

Have any of you seen the contracts signed with the vaccine suppliers? Are you able to tell us how much those contracts have cost us in total and how much, on average, we are paying for each vaccine?

[Michael Mills]

Unfortunately, I'm not responsible for the purchasing of vaccines, so I would not be able to provide information on the number of vaccines or details on the contracts. As Ms. Evans said, we are responsible collectively for the purchasing of supplies to administer vaccines—syringes, needles, sharps containers, freezers and those kinds of things—but not the vaccines themselves.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Who do you think we should invite in order to have those questions answered?

[Michael Mills]

If that's the subject, we could look within PSPC in terms of who would be an appropriate person to respond to those questions, whether it be the deputy or one of my colleague assistant deputy ministers who is responsible for vaccines.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you.

According to the 2021-2022 Departmental Plan of Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, “the department is procuring other requirements such as mental health services and online COVID-19 tools, as well as accommodations and humanitarian support to individuals having to self-isolate.”

What mental health services does the department provide and who can use them?

[Michael Mills]

In terms of services for the public, I would have to get back to you in terms of the procurement. It may have been working with another department to supply those services. I'll have to take that away and come back with an answer.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you.

What are the main obstacles in the way of the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to isolated communities or indigenous, First Nations communities?

[Cindy Evans]

As I said, in the bulk procurement we've done for personal protective equipment, 20% of that amount is held back by the national emergency strategic stockpile to replenish our stocks. Within that 20%, we do allocate 2% to our colleagues in Indigenous Services Canada. Where they are providing support to communities within their purview, that provides them with essential medical supplies for those communities. With respect to specific barriers to that distribution, I think we would have to go back to our colleagues at ISC to ask for additional details.

With respect to the delivery of supplies, such as fridges and freezers in support of vaccine delivery, we were able to request assistance, through a request for assistance to the Canadian Armed Forces, in delivering to some more challenging areas in that circumstance.