Shrinking national stockpile raises fear among front-line medical workers
U.S. emergency medical stockpile runs nearly out of protective gear as demand rises; Former director of the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, Greg Burel weighs in on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
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The former director of the Strategic National Stockpile said Wednesday that he is concerned about the organization's protective equipment supply shortage amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“The Strategic National Stockpile has never intended to be able to respond as the sole provider to a nationwide pandemic event,” Greg Burel told “America’s Newsroom.”
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Organized to support public health threats, the Strategic National Stockpile is coordinated to hold a large supply of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to support hospitals.
"What we’re seeing is the result of many things in the supply chain that have not been prepared as they should have been. There is not a lot of safety stock at any link in the supply chain and the Strategic Sational Stockpile cannot be the sole answer.”
The overwhelming number of coronavirus patients flooding hospitals across the U.S. has resulted in a shortage of ventilators for those experiencing difficulty breathing.
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But while President Trump has faced criticism from states, like New York, for the short supply, federal agencies have been predicting the need for more ventilators for nearly two decades. Reports from various government offices have been sounding the alarm over the course of at least three successive administrations.
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Burel also addressed the ventilators issue.
“The Strategic National Stockpile has been sending out ventilators for some time now. The Strategic National Stockpile had a robust capability around ventilators that matched pretty well to the number of ICU beds and respiratory therapists who could use those," he added.
Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
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