Topic: NYC Hospitals Lag on COVID PPE Stockpile Requirement as Virus Surges
Local hospitals are still struggling to amass a required 90-day supply of protective gear for front-line medical staff after blowing the state’s Sept. 30 deadline, THE CITY has learned.
The problem appears to be supply and demand: The hospitals are having trouble obtaining needed high-quality masks, gowns and other PPE — hoping to avoid a repeat of shortages from the chaotic first wave coronavirus last spring.
The new scramble comes as COVID-19 infections rise — prompting the reopening of a field hospital in hard-hit Staten Island and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s statement that the state could soon declare the city a heavily restricted orange zone as winter approaches.
After missing the Sept. 30 cutoff, some hospitals in the city also failed to make an extended Oct. 30 deadline. The 90-day supply mandate was issued by the state Health Department in July.
Jonah Bruno, a state Department of Health spokesperson, blamed PPE suppliers that have so far been unable to provide local hospitals with enough protective gear.
“Recognizing that there continues to be supply chain challenges, the [state Health] Department, in its role as regulator, continues to work with all facilities to achieve sufficient PPE and will track that process,” monitoring the supply at hospitals through the state’s Health Electronic Response Data System, he wrote in response to questions from THE CITY.
The city Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, which is coordinating the de Blasio administration’s response to the pandemic, provides a backup stockpile to hospitals in the city. While it’s not required to have a 90-day supply on hand, the department is striving to do so. As of this week, it had yet to reach that goal.
Topic Discussed: NYC Hospitals Lag on COVID PPE Stockpile Requirement as Virus Surges
