JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As we move forward in the COVID-19 crisis and supplies are stretched to meet expanding needs, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Missouri Hospital Association President and CEO Herb Kuhn are urging Missourians not to hoard medical supplies.
President Trump issued an executive order last week also cautioning against hoarding of medical supplies. The order reads, “it is the policy of the United States that health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19, such as personal protective equipment and sanitizing and disinfecting products, are not hoarded.”
“Supplies like personal protective equipment and sanitizing products are in short supply and high demand. Buying these medical supplies on an as-needed basis to keep yourself safe from the spread of COVID-19 is encouraged, but unless you require large quantities of these supplies, Missourians are urged not to hoard items like face masks and sanitizing products to ensure that those fighting the pandemic on the frontlines are still able to get the equipment they need,” said Attorney General Schmitt.
“To deliver the safe, effective care Missourians need, hospitals need a healthy workforce,” said Herb B. Kuhn, MHA President and CEO. “As the supply of personal protective equipment grows short, hospitals are doing everything possible to conserve the resource while protecting their workers. Hoarding scarce supplies makes it harder for hospitals to do their job and puts Missourians and the state’s health care workers at greater risk.”
The Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri Hospital Association also recently warned about medical supply chain price gouging.
For more information and resources on COVID-19, visit the Missouri Hospital Association’s dedicated page at: https://web.mhanet.com/coronavirus-disease.aspx or the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services’ page at: https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/.
