How to Fix Continued Medical Supply Shortages
It is hard to believe that the medical supply shortages which manifested a few weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic persist and have gotten worse in some cases. Ventilators, PPE and testing reagents are just a few of the critically needed medical supplies that the U.S. appears to be unable to get hold of in sufficient quantities. But why is this so? In 2004, the administration of the day created the Strategic National Stockpile (“SNS”) with the aim of having a safety net during short-term emergencies, such as terrorist attacks. While this entity wasn’t designed or even equipped to handle an…