Lawmakers seek medical supply chain clarity

Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Gary C. Peters (D-MI) recently forwarded correspondence to two agencies to inquire about medical supply chain security and stability in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

Johnson and Peters sent a letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad F. Wolf and Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to assess the matter.

“In our Feb. 12 committee roundtable regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), some of the most disconcerting revelations involved the insecurity of our medical supply chain,” the lawmakers wrote. “Witnesses indicated that if the COVID-19 continues to spread, the United States medical supply chain will likely experience shortages of critical drugs and personal protective equipment (PPE).”

The legislators indicated during a recent all member Senate briefing, Dr. Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary for Preparedness and Response at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), noted the United States strategic stockpile of PPE should hold 300 million N95 respirators units but is currently at only 10 percent of that level — 30 million units.

“In the short term, we are writing to obtain information regarding your Departments’ assessments and planned actions designed to mitigate current and potential shortages of drugs and medical equipment that might be essential if COVID-19 becomes a significant problem in the United States,” the lawmakers concluded.