Ohio has received all that it's likely to get from the National Strategic Stockpile of medical supplies - a plane dropped off gowns, gloves, coveralls, face shields, surgical masks and N-95 masks in Columbus Tuesday.
But the state says it's not enough for now or through the surge of COVID-19 patients that is expected in the near future. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
Ohio Department of Health Director Doctor Amy Acton said after the shipment arrived that it will not meet the immediate or future needs of the state’s health care providers and first responders, and that it reinforces the need to conserve that equipment. A few hours later, she said there needs to be a better way to allocate the National Strategic Stockpile and also to build up more supplies.
“This is a nightmare for all concerned. This isn’t a blame thing, but we have to lean into some solutions that are more wide and scaled.”
After the shipment was delivered, a statement from President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign called it a “promise kept” and that Trump is “mobilizing the full force of the federal government to get health care workers the supplies they need”.
