A state panel approved two funding requests for the Ohio Department of Health to move forward with its response to the Ebola crisis. The department asked for a total of $800,000. A portion of the money pays for decontamination services if a local public health department needs it.
The rest buys more personal protective gear, including full body suits and face shields, for hospitals and first responders.
Lynne Bratka, interim chief of the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness, says the equipment will be held on reserve in case a medical entity needs it.
“If a local or a hospital has difficulty receiving their supplies in a timely fashion, we are able to come in and supply things until the supply chain opens back up," Bratka said.
According to Bratka, the gear Ohio would use complies with federal standards and may even go beyond them.
