Warren Requests White House Medical Supply Program Transparency
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the demand for medical supplies is all-time high. From the personal protective equipment to the pharmaceuticals, the medical supply manufacturers are under a lot of pressure to produce these essentials. On the other hand, the government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are bringing new policies in order to help and facilitate the medical supply manufacturers and medical supply wholesalers to meet the demand.
The White house started a medical supply program in an attempt to solve this crisis, where white house, along with FEMA are finding ways to bring more medical supplies in the country. For that, they have partnered up with the most notable life sciences companies in the United States, and facilitated them by taking the responsibility of shipping these medical supplies. The ships from the white house and FEMA bring cargo significantly faster than the commercial cargo ships, while in return the medical supply manufacturers and medical supply wholesalers have to sell half of them to the people whom the American government points out. The companies in the agreement make about 90 percent of the total medical supply chain in America, hence the FEMA and white house can ask these companies to supply the medical supplies in the areas that need them the most. These companies have a greater market penetration hence it is easier for the government to use them as a means of distribution.
While these arrangements made by the United States’ government and FEMA are commendable, some people believe they should be transparent to the general public. Senator Warren says; “the process and the government are not doing enough to provide proper medical supplies to the people in need, and the program, the white house and FEMA are running, needs to be more transparent, so we can see where the flaws are”. According to him, the whole program is not geared for the public, but rather for the political benefit of the parties involved. Warren claimed that the medical supplies aren’t being distributed to the locations in need.
FEMA has defended the program against the accusations made by Senator Warren. According to FEMA, they are tracking everything and that also includes the final deliveries to the hospitals in need of these medical supplies. The White House maintained that they are taking the actions that aren’t harming the medical supply chain, but they are taking the actions swiftly so that the people in need of medical supplies can get them as soon as possible.
