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.
At a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen.
Jon Tester, D-Montana, asked, "So, Dr. Stone, we're not where we need to
be?"
Stone replied, "That is correct."
In his testimony, he added, "We recognize that a future
pandemic wave may test all of us" in terms of the demand for adequate
supplies for health care workers to protect themselves and treat patients.
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.
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