Lehendakari visit to the Dachser logistics center

Since last March, the Dachser logistics center in Amorebieta (Vizcaya) has been the warehouse and strategic distribution center for the stock of the Basque Government's Health Department, to fight against Covid-19. This Wednesday, the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, has visited this center, ensuring that the Basque Country has guaranteed a strategic reserve of material to face COVID19 until March 2021, valued at 80 million euros.

The transport and logistics operator Dachser converted, in March this year, part of its Amorebieta facilities into the large warehouse for the strategic reserve agreed between the Basque Government, provincial councils and EUDEL to deal with the coronavirus. This Wednesday, Dachser received a visit from the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, and the Minister of Health, Miren Gotzone Sagardui, during which the Basque president assured that “Euskadi has a guaranteed reserve of these products, valued at 80 million euros , until March 31, 2021 ".

After declaring the state of alarm in Spain, the multinational logistics company made a space of 4,000 square meters of its facilities in Amorebieta, dedicated to logistics, available for this cause. Since then, they have become Osakidetza's large sanitary material warehouse, the Basque Health Service. With the arrival of the pandemic, Dachser did not take long to mobilize, once again following his principles of social responsibility and solidarity, to respond quickly to the health emergency, and he did so by putting together a team dedicated to the fight against Covid-19. This logistics center has performed "a key task during the worst moments of the pandemic", as explained by the Lehendakari, adding that "these facilities are the place from which the strategy of supply and distribution of material to all essential areas is being articulated. of Euskadi ”. The company was clear from the beginning that at this time its logistics activity is critical and fundamental for the Basque Health Service, so that all its needs in the Basque Autonomous Community are addressed with the urgency that this crisis requires.

As the pandemic began, the incessant need for equipment multiplied globally. As is not surprising, when comparing the period of January and May of this year with that of 2019, the consumption of masks in this region has multiplied by 18, that of high protection gloves by 26, as well as the consumption of gowns , hydroalcoholic gel, goggles or divers. Given this reality, it was necessary and urgent in March to set up a center of these characteristics, equipped for the reception, storage and rapid distribution of this type of sanitary product at a crucial time. The Dachser facilities in Vizcaya met all these requirements.

The main volumes of material that make up this strategic reserve are: 5 million gowns, 3 million high protection masks, 20 million surgical masks, and 100 million gloves, among others. In addition, this center will continue to store and distribute divers, protective glasses and screens, and hydroalcoholic gel, among other materials.

From this Dachser logistics platform, material is prepared and distributed to more than 700 destination points, including hospitals, health centers, residences, municipal services throughout the Basque Country and educational centers in the public network.

This is how the Dachser logistics center in Amorebieta works

Every day, goods that Osakidetza buys via local suppliers or via imports arrive at the DACHSER logistics platform, located in Amorebieta, which can arrive from the airports of Bilbao, Foronda, Madrid and Barcelona, ​​as well as donations from different sources. Once received in the warehouse, the merchandise is controlled and classified so that the Basque Health Service can have updated information at all times on the stock of material it has. Depending on the needs of each center, Osakidetza transmits the orders to be prepared to DACHSER, who manages them in order of priority so that they are distributed on the same day, both to hospitals and to all social health centers, different bodies and forces of the order, such as the Ertzaintza, local police or firefighters.

Currently, DACHSER has "a team of 4 to 5 people dedicated exclusively to this operation, ensuring a service five days a week, providing coverage throughout the day, and always available for any emergency that may arise", in words by Ibán García de Andoin, Branch Manager of DACHSER in Vizcaya.