“The Department of Veterans Affairs is saddled with an antiquated supply chain that is short of personal protective equipment (PPE) — including N-95 masks and gowns — swabs and other vital equipment to deal with a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, VA officials said Tuesday.”
“The VA’s health care system currently has about a 30-day supply of protective gear on hand, but would need a supply backstop of at least 60 days or possibly six months to cope with a resurgence of the novel coronavirus in the fall, said Dr. Richard Stone, acting head of the Veterans Health Administration…”
“For decades, the VA has relied on a ‘just in time’ supply chain for deliveries that has been severely strained by the current pandemic, Stone said.”
“‘This system has not delivered the response necessary,’ he said, but stressed that health care workers are adequately protected despite the shortcomings.”
“‘Just in time for PPE is not the way to go,’ said Deborah Kramer, the acting under secretary for Health for Support Services at the VHA, who joined Stone at the hearing…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA Unprepared to Deal with a Second Wave of COVID-19, Top Officials Say – By Richard Sisk, June 10, 2020. Military.com.
