The Irish facilities racing to meet the demand caused by acute product shortfalls in the US

Shortage of contrast dye has resulted in hospitals postponing CT scans and rationing care

GE's plant in Carrigtwohill employs more than 600 people manufacturing contrast dye for use in MRIs and CT scans. Picture: iStock

Highlighting its position at the centre of the world for food production and healthcare manufacturing, facilities in Ireland have again ramped up production to help make up for a shortfall of essential products elsewhere around the world.

The General Electric (GE) plant in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork has significantly increased production of a medical dye that is in short supply around the world, particularly in the US, due to the strict Covid lockdowns in parts of China.

Called contrast media or dye, the fluid made by GE helps doctors peer inside the bodies of patients having a heart blockage, stroke or dangerous lung clot. It’s also routinely used tens of millions of times a year in non-emergency scans, including to help diagnose and track cancers.

GE is one of a handful of major manufacturers of the dyes, and most of the supply for the US comes from a Shanghai manufacturing facility. The location was shut down when the Chinese city was put on a Covid lockdown on March 27, cutting off production. The shortage of the dye has resulted in hospitals around the US postponing CT scans and rationing care while waiting on new shipments.

Another major manufacturer of the dye is GE's Global Manufacturing Site in Cork and another site in Norway. A GE spokesperson said it increased production at the Irish plant to offset the Shanghai losses. The plant in China has resumed production but it could be July before it is back at full capacity.

"We are working to return to full capacity as soon as local authorities allow," the spokesperson said.

In addition to increasing output at its Cork facility, GE has flown products from Cork and Shanghai to the United States, rather than by sea to accelerate delivery, the company said. It did not give details on the increase in capacity or what extra costs it had incurred due to the measures.

Established in 1992, GE's Cork facility fills, packs, and distributes the contrast media to more than 80 countries. More than 600 people are employed at the Cork facility.

The dye shortage has similarities with the baby formula crisis facing the US is currently facing. Millions of cans of formula made in Ireland have been shipped by air transport to the US to address the crippling shortage.

Supply chain issues compounded by historic inflation levels and a product recall meant shelves across the US have been running short of the product. One of the country's biggest manufacturers, Abbott, who produces the Similac rage of infant formulas operates a significant facility in Cootehill, Co Cavan.

In a statement, Abbott said they have now air shipped millions of cans of formula from Cootehill and said they will more than double the amount supplied from the facility this year.

"Our Cootehill team sources ingredients from approximately 1,000 dairy farms in the local area. Following stringent quality and safety processes, each batch of infant formula undergoes extensive quality checks before it reaches stores," Abbott said.

Shortages of all kinds have abounded since the onset of the pandemic, from toilet paper to hand sanitiser and face masks. But in the medical sphere, the current contrast dye shortfall in the US appears to be the most far-reaching shortage since the 2020 run on medical protective equipment, and it’s sparking anger and worries about patient safety.

Additional reporting Bloomberg