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HEALTH

Coronavirus: Switzerland uses 3.5 million face masks per day

Between the health sector and commuters on public transport, Switzerland uses an estimated 3.5 million masks per day.

Published: 11 July 2020 11:31 CEST
Coronavirus: Switzerland uses 3.5 million face masks per day
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Estimates from the Federal Office of Public Health show that 3.5 million masks are used and disposed of each day, 1.5 to 2 million of which come from the healthcare sector. 

In one month, Switzerland uses 105 million masks. 

‘Cheaper than supermarkets': How Geneva plans to get coronavirus masks to every resident 

Masks were made compulsory on public transport across the country in Monday, June 6th, while some cantons also required masks in shops and supermarkets. 

The vast majority of masks used in Switzerland are imported from China, with around 70 percent coming from there. 

The rest are largely made in neighbouring European countries. 

READ: Everything you need to know about Switzerland's new compulsory mask requirement 

As yet, there are no Swiss masks on the market.

The first batch has been completed several weeks ago but failed certification by Tüv Nord, the German body which approves masks for public use. 

 

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HEALTH INSURANCE

Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

The Swiss health system is ranked among the best in the world, but some essentials, like glasses, aren't automatically covered by health insurance. That could soon change, however

Published: 16 May 2024 15:06 CEST
Could glasses and contact lenses soon be covered by Swiss health insurance?

Green Party Federal Councillor Katharina Prelicz-Huber revealed in an interview with newspaper 20 Minuten this week that the Federal Parliament had tabled a motion to include prescription glasses and contact lenses in Switzerland’s mandatory health insurance scheme. 

Prelicz-Huber stated: “The purpose of compulsory health insurance is to provide the services you need to get or stay healthy,”

The motion forms part of the legislation that will be voted on during the 2024 summer session of the Federal Council. 

Proposed changes 

According to Switzerland’s peak optician body, 4 in 5 Swiss wear glasses or contact lenses at some point. 

It’s no surprise that statistics repository, Statista, projects the Swiss eyewear industry to be worth €1.37 billion by 2028. 

Currently, glasses and contact lenses are covered for up to 180 francs for children until age eighteen, if they are proscribed by a doctor.

Adults can also claim money back for glasses and contact lenses – however, they must be suffering from one of a short list of specific conditions such as keratoconus – where the cornea is distorted – or severe myopia, otherwise known as near-sightedness.

They must also have been specifically prescribed them by a doctor or optometrist. 

Otherwise, supplemental optical insurance must be purchased in Switzerland to ensure you can recoup the cost. 

Under the Green Party proposal, glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids would be covered, regardless of age. 

Rising premiums prompt opposition 

Not everybody agrees with the proposal. 

The right-wing SVP has already spoken out against it, with Federal Councillor Diana Gutjahr arguing: “If we seriously want to slow down the burdensome and constantly rising health costs for the benefit of the population, we [must] show the political will not to constantly expand the benefits of compulsory health insurance.”

A spokesman for the the health insurance advocacy group Santesuisse, Matthias Müller, echoed Gutjahr, claiming that insurance constitutes “financing for extraordinary events such as illness.”

“If almost everyone benefits from a certain service, it is no longer an insurance benefit.”

A date for the vote has yet to be announced. 

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