Ohio has learned how to be better prepared; now we must just do it
As happened in most states when COVID-19 struck and we were all caught entirely unprepared, Ohio overpurchased. Now, much of that stockpile is expiring, and the state is forced to auction off what it can and trash the rest.
Ohio auctioned 393,000 protective gowns … for $2,451. The state had to throw away an additional 7.2 million of them, along with expired masks, gloves and other protective gear. The state paid $29 million in federal money for that equipment.
But this isn’t a matter of Ohio being reckless with taxpayer dollars. This is a matter of facing the consequences for a nationwide lack of preparation and planning.
“What a real waste. That’s what happens when you don’t prepare, when you have a bust-and-boom public health system,” where a lack of planning leads to panicked over-purchasing in emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It shows that we really have to do a better job of managing our stockpiles.”
Ohio handed out more than 227 million pieces of protective equipment during the pandemic. Then, the panic and the crisis itself eased.
“There was no way to know, at the time of purchase, how long the supply deficit would last or what quantities would be needed,” Ohio Department of Health spokesperson Ken Gordon said.
There was no way, then.
Now we have examples from which to learn. But as Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight told The Associated Press, “memories are short, budgets are tight.”
While we all hope we will never again see such a public health emergency, we are being irresponsible to ourselves and ensuing generations if we allow our memories regarding our failure to plan and prepare to fade.
Researchers are capable of developing incredible models regarding everything from weather patterns to economic trends. Surely there are several hard at work developing models that will help us develop best practices for planning and stockpiling.
May we never need them. But we must make sure they are available, if we do.
editorial@vindy.com