Abbott Laboratories CEO Robert Ford apologized Saturday in a brand new op-ed for his firm’s function in a nationwide scarcity of child method, which this week moved Congress and the Biden administration to take emergency actions to alleviate it.

Ford additionally detailed steps the corporate is taking to stem the scarcity, and vowed, “We’re making vital investments to make sure this by no means occurs once more.”

Ford’s apology in a Washington Put up op-ed famous that the scarcity was sparked by the corporate’s recall in February of method made at Abbott Diet’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan, after federal well being officers discovered a doubtlessly lethal micro organism there. The plant was accountable for producing as much as 25% of the nation’s child method.

“We at Abbott take nice satisfaction in serving to folks with diabetes verify their glucose, offering crucial coronavirus testing and making lifesaving coronary heart units,” Ford wrote within the op-ed.

“And sure, we take nice satisfaction in manufacturing diet and method to feed America’s infants, together with our most susceptible,” Ford wrote. “However the previous few months have distressed us as they have you ever, and so I need to say: We’re sorry to each household we have let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s child method scarcity.”

Ford wrote that Abbott believed that the voluntary recall “was the best factor to do.”

“We is not going to take dangers with regards to the well being of youngsters,” he wrote.

4 infants who drank method from the Michigan plant had been hospitalized with bacterial infections. Two of the infants died.

However in April, federal well being officers informed NBC Information that the bacterial strains present in these infants didn’t match strains discovered on the Abbott facility.

“Nevertheless, the FDA’s investigation did uncover a micro organism in our plant that we are going to not tolerate. I’ve excessive expectations of this firm, and we fell wanting them,” Ford wrote.

The apology got here hours after President Joe Biden signed into legislation the newly handed Entry to Child Method Act, which is geared toward making it simpler for households eligible for the federal WIC program to purchase method. WIC is formally referred to as the Particular Supplemental Diet Program for Girls, Infants, and Youngsters.

Biden on Wednesday invoked the Protection Manufacturing Act to cope with the method scarcity, requiring suppliers to ship elements to child method producers earlier than some other corporations who might have ordered the identical merchandise.

On Sunday, U.S. army plane are scheduled to fly 132 pallets of Nestle child method to Indianapolis, Indiana, from the Ramstein Air Base in German. Extra method is predicted to be flown on U.S army planes later.

In his op-ed Saturday, Ford outlined the steps Abbott has taken in response to the scarcity, writing that he knew “some kids have been hospitalized due to the dearth of EleCare, a specialised method for youngsters who can’t digest different formulation and milks.”

“Given their distinctive wants, kids who lose entry to it might probably require medical supervision till the method is returned to the cabinets,” Ford wrote. “I cannot mince phrases — that is tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s consuming my ideas and people of my colleagues.”

Ford stated Abbott will “prioritize EleCare when manufacturing resumes and get that out the door first,” and within the meantime has established a $5 million fund for households affected by the dearth of EleCare with medical and residing bills.

He additionally wrote that buyers “can really feel protected shopping for any Abbott product you discover on the shop cabinets.”

“What is accessible has handed rigorous inspections and is prepared in your infants,” he wrote.

Ford famous that Abbott transformed manufacturing strains for its grownup diet merchandise at a plant in Columbus, Ohio, “to prioritize manufacturing of ready-to-feed liquid toddler method.”

“And we have now been air-shipping tens of millions of cans of our most generally used powdered toddler method from an FDA-approved facility in Eire to the USA because the recall,” he wrote.

Ford stated Abbott expects to restart the Sturgis plan within the first week of June, after coming into right into a consent diploma with the federal Meals and Drug Administration.

He wrote that after the plant reopens, it should take between six to eight weeks earlier than method from the ability is accessible on retailer cabinets.

However he additionally stated, “After we are working our Michigan facility at full capability, we’ll greater than double our present manufacturing of powdered toddler method for the USA.”

“By the tip of June, we can be supplying extra method to People than we had been in January earlier than the recall.

“These steps we’re taking will not finish the struggles of households at this time,” Ford wrote. “Some options will take weeks, others will take longer, however we is not going to relaxation till it’s carried out. I cannot relaxation. I would like everybody to belief us to do what is correct, and I do know that have to be earned again.”

Learn the entire Washington Put up op-ed right here.