Why don hospitals and the state of Minnesota just stockpile enough resources so that rationing isn needed?
Not all resources can be stockpiled (like vaccines for a novel virus). Some resources (like antivirals) may expire before a pandemic occurs. How well a new virus will respond to an existing antiviral medication is not known. Some resources (like ventilators) require many trained personnel to use them, and absenteeism may be as high as 40% during the peaks of a pandemic. Money is limited in public health and health care sectors, and stockpiling resources takes funds away from other things that are also important whether or not a severe pandemic strikes.
Related Questions
- What state resources will assist with establishment of Alternative Care Sites when hospitals are over occupied and are unable to spare staff for another site?
- Why don hospitals and the state of Minnesota just stockpile enough resources so that rationing isn needed?
- Do our state and local health departments have the resources needed to protect us from bioterrorism?
