Governor Charlie Baker announced on Monday, March 30, that the federal government had approved a request for 1,000 ventilators for Massachusetts. It took just 48 hours for the request to be approved.
Baker said that while he was grateful for the quick approval, he doesn’t consider orders confirmed until they arrive. The state has several orders for personal protective equipment [PPE] that should have a delivery date of sometime this week.
Baker has been outwardly frustrated by procurement for PPE. Several orders confirmed simply did not materialize, making the preparation for the “surge” in hospitals of COVID-19 patients difficult to prepare for.
Baker said the time frame for the surge is expected to be between April 7 and 17th.
There was some positive procurement news, according to Baker. A large delivery from the national strategic stockpile was delivered on Saturday, March 28, which has led to several items being delivered to local hospitals that included over 28,000 masks.
The state has also launched an online portal for donations or contract initiation of PPE. It also included information for local manufacturers on converting existing resources to produce PPE.
New Balance, a clothing manufacturer, is producing prototype face masks for medical personnel. They hope to launch full production soon.
Alongside procurement of PPE, recruiting more medical professionals to join the ranks of the healthcare workforce has attracted 18,000 to enroll at mass.gov/covid19. There are immediate needs for respiratory therapists and registered nurses.
