The U.S. government has used the Defense Production Act to expedite the recovery of a vital North Carolina facility in response to a statewide IV fluid shortage brought on by Hurricane Helene. Hospitals have been forced to postpone surgeries and implement emergency conservation measures as a result of the significant disruption in medical supply production, which the move attempts to restore.
The Biden administration is moving very fast to bring relief as the US reels from the grave shortage of intravenous fluids after Hurricane Helene ravaged an IV fluid production facility based in North Carolina. It’s pushing for fast rebuilding of the factory producing 60% of intravenous fluids by invoking the Defense Production Act.
This storm already severely impacted the healthcare supply chain, which was already thin and fragile. The factory of Baxter, one of the largest medical suppliers, has damage caused by the storm. With IV fluids no longer available in full quantities to several hospitals across the country, elective surgeries have had to be postponed or even canceled. Some of these hospitals even resort to hydrating patients with Gatorade.
“Making sure that patients have available the drugs they need is of first importance,” said a spokesperson for Health and Human Services. The invocation of the Defense Production Act ensures that the work to rebuild is underway as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, the FDA is making it easier for Baxter to have IV fluids shipped in from overseas plants and is looking at other ways to help the beleaguered healthcare community. Even with a significant increase in supply, hospitals remain at a loss; one-liter saline bags remain backordered for multiple weeks.
Such a crisis means conservation strategies, with continuous monitoring of its resources by hospitals and government agencies doing their best somehow to stabilize the situation and provide care to the patients.
