DENVER Baxter Healthcare, a maker of medical supplies that provides 60% of the country’s IV fluid supply, was forced down when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina.
Many hospitals are taking precautions against a shortfall, according to supply chain specialists.
“We are worried that hospitals will panic about supplies, which will disrupt the supply chain,” stated Professor Jack Buffington, who is the director of supply chain management at the University of Denver.
A lot of us recall the COVID-19 pandemic’s supply chain problems. When looking for toilet paper, it was not uncommon to discover just empty shelves for a while. Hospitals are susceptible to the same practice, which is overspending.
“So, that’s the reason why these manufacturers are putting the hospitals on allocation so you don’t have a whipsaw effect of them panic buying and then that creating a disturbance,” Buffington added.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that certain fluids were in low supply. permitting certain hospitals to import goods from nations like Ireland and produce their own IV.
Four of the major systems in the Denver metro region were contacted by Denver7; all of them reported no delays or impact. According to each method, they will keep an eye on the situation.
Baxter stated in a statement on Monday that it anticipates 3,000 workers to assist with cleanup and recovery this week. By the end of the year, the objective is to return to 90–100% allocation of certain IV fluids.
