BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – The Buffalo VA Hospital is among the VA hospitals that have run into a notable shortage of protective equipment in the fight against coronavirus, according to a March report by the Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General that was highlighted by Senator Chuck Schumer on Thursday.
Specifically, Buffalo lacks masks and gloves, according to the March report. The report also indicated that the Buffalo VAMC had no reported plans to share ICU beds or to share their supply of the personal protective equipment.
Schumer said that it took the VA leadership ten days to issue masks to Buffalo after the report came out.
“The VA’s leadership response has been far too slow and nothing short of derelict because it’s life and death. So today I’m putting the VA on notice. It’s time to do everything in your power to update and fix the PPE strategy.”
Now, Schumer wants the VA to disclose whether all New York’s VA hospitals have proper supply of PPE and to identify which ones are at risk of running out. He also wants New York VA hospitals to be immediately stocked. The senator is also calling on the VA to lay out the exact steps they’ve taken to bridge the PPE shortage and to identify barriers that might limit the VA from fully supplying all of their facilities.
“The inexcusable lack of diligence from the VA leadership puts Upstate New York’s world-class VA health workers fighting on the front lines and many of our veterans who are fighting at the hospitals at risk,” Schumer said. “The VA must now act to protect New York veterans and VA workers in their critical moments of need and work on a proactive plan to protect the men and women who have served our country overseas or in the emergency room.”