During the COVID-19 pandemic, states like Ohio faced shortages of protective equipment and spent millions to acquire it.
Now, with the pandemic’s grip loosening, they are dealing with excess supplies, leading to the disposal of millions of expired masks, gowns, and other materials.
This has raised concerns about managing stockpiles effectively. (Trending: Bud Light Gets Bad News Ahead of Christmas)
While some states have donated surplus gear, others have struggled with the dilemma of maintaining preparedness without accumulating wasteful surpluses.
“Into the trash went more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, 500,000 gloves, and more. That’s not counting states that didn’t give the AP exact figures or responded in cases or other measurements. Rhode Island said it shredded and recycled 829 tons of PPE; Maryland disposed of over $93 million in supplies,” the report noted.
“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association said.
“It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”
“Anytime you’re involved in a situation where you’re recalling how difficult it was to get something in the first place, and then having to watch that go or not be used in the way it was intended to be used, certainly, there’s some frustration in that,” said Louis Eubank of the South Carolina health department.
“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.
Now, “states, hospitals, manufacturers – everybody in the whole system — has extra product,” said Linda Rouse O’Neill of the Health Industry Distributors Association.
The situation has shed light on the challenges of balancing supply and demand during a public health crisis.
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