Italy sends rejected hospital beds to aid Zaporizhzhia
The authorities of the Italian region of Lombardy are disposing of approximately 200 hospital beds that proved useless in Italian facilities after being purchased from a company in India. Equipment valued at around £190,000 will be sent to Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine.
During the 2020 pandemic, Lombardy, the region of Italy most severely affected by COVID-19, bought 200 hospital beds from an Indian company.
Unfortunately, the equipment did not comply with ISO certification requirements concerning quality and safety, rendering it unusable in Italian hospitals.
The issue was taken to court. In 2023, the court ordered the Indian company to refund the money, but this ruling has not yet been enforced. The Indian company also failed to retrieve the defective goods.
Unused beds to be sent to Zaporizhzhia. Italians offer assistance
To resolve the impasse, the Lombardy authorities decided to donate the beds to Ukraine, which had requested help equipping its hospitals. The country has faced a shortage of medical equipment for years.
It was decided that the beds would be sent to facilities in Zaporizhzhia, a city located in southeastern Ukraine.
