Plan to boost Australia’s mask, RAT stocks

Labor will pledge to increase Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity in medical essentials, including RATs, masks, PPE and ventilators if it is elected this year.

The promise comes as reports have emerged of Australian medical technology companies moving to the US because of lack of interest in their products at home.

If elected Labor has pledged it will give priority to Australian-made medical technology for government purchases in consumables and equipment.

It will also order the $15bn National Reconstruction Fund it has promised to establish to make medical technology a priority and work with the planned Future Made in Australia Office to develop a national investment plan for health care essentials.

The first RAT approved for use by America’s Food and Drug Administration was made by the Brisbane company Ellume after the US government gave it $30m to scale up production in Brisbane.

It has since invested $302m to build a US factory.

It has also been reported Melbourne-based company Lumos Diagnostics approached the government in mid-2020 about setting up manufacturing in Australia.

Instead, it ended up establishing its manufacturing capability in Florida and California and is selling tests into the US, European and Canadian markets.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said critical medical supplies should be made in Australia and the Australian government should be buying Australian-made medical supplies. He said Labor would increase Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity in medical essentials.

“The fact that we are three years into the pandemic and still face shortages on critical needs like rapid antigen tests is an indictment of a government that has failed Australians.”