re: Doctors, nurses grow desperate for protective gear, fear they're infecting patients

quote:

---

Even in our procedure rooms we have to keep masks locked up or put away because we’ve had patients and family members trying to steal handfuls of them.

---

I also work in a clinic and we had to take hand sanitizer out of the rooms because people were stealing them

quote:

---

oh and by the way, why didn't your hospital stock up on masks and gloves? why is it the governments fault that your supply chain sucks?

---

For most items the government shouldn’t be involved and on that point, I agree. However, there are certain items critical and strategic to the survival and defense of our country that should not be outsourced. For instance, steel and other metals like tin, aluminum,for the defense industry, oil production. Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies should also be considered as critical in light of this recent pandemic.

quote:

---

There was no shortage of masks when I purchased one.


That is the point I'm trying to drive home.

I saw this coming 2 months ago and acted accordingly. There are important people in important positions that didn't think this was very important.

I thought it was important for me to have a mask so I bought a 3 pack, a gallon of alcohol, latex gloves, and restocked my medicine cabinets. I did this because I thought it would be important and wise for me to be prepared.

---

I did the same with materials I need for my business. Boxes of nitril gloves, gallons of 91% isopropyl, etc.

Normally I buy as needed but saw this coming so stocked up so I can keep running.

quote:

---

Well, I doubt 3M has a warehouse full of mask making machines and the materials needed to make them all ready to go at the flip of a switch.

---

Is that not what the Act Trump signed two days ago was intended for? I understand it will be a few days, but this puts people to work and keeps them busy.

You can’t convince me that there aren’t plants in this country that can’t start spitting these things out.

My job takes me into a lot of healthcare facilities, esp nursing homes.

That will continue through all of this.

I have the immune system of a 20 year old alligator and I hope it holds.

I’m definitely going to be exposed if I haven’t already.

...it's going to stay that way until we tell the Chicken Little crowd to STFU and let people go back to work.

Globalism fails us yet again. We need to be more self reliant. More prepared for worst case scenarios (not saying we could have predicted this) and better equipped to help our people out

quote:

---

there are certain items critical and strategic to the survival and defense of our country that should not be outsourced. For instance, steel and other metals like tin, aluminum,for the defense industry, oil production. Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies should also be considered as critical in light of this recent pandemic.

---

I don’t disagree. But hindsight is 20/20.as far as equipment goes. I think a larger problem is the hysteria caused by the media that drove lay people to rush out and purchase existing inventories be they medical supplies or water and toilet paper.

I completely agree that we need to manufacture more of these items domestically, but few want to pay the higher cost. And that’s not solely on the government. While I think it sucks that you guys are short on masks, gowns, alcohol, vents...we’re Ramping up manufacturing and should be able to get the shortages addressed.

Oil isn’t as critical cause we’ve gotten so good at production. Steel is a whole other issue as are the minerals to make it.

quote:

---

How our govt let critical items like this be outsourced in China along with our pharmaceutical supply is criminal.

---

Thanks Clinton,Bush, and Obama.

I’m praying we bring manufacturing back to America or at minimum Mexico after this