Hurricane devastation in Puerto Rico, along with tragedies like the mass shooting in Las Vegas and California’s wildfires may be affecting healthcare in northeast Ohio.
Supplies of IV fluids, the bags they’re hung in and related gear are dwindling in some area hospitals. Catastrophic events of late have increased the demand for the products at the same time key manufacturing plants that make them in Puerto Rico are struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria.
Sarrah Hein is Pharmacy Manager for Akron Children’s hospital in Mahoning County. She says there is no actual shortage yet, but it’s time for caution. “The Mahoning campus and the Akron campus have worked together to form a committee to conserve IV fluids as much as possible and look at different ways of administering our medications to stretch our supply.”
Mercy Health System with three hospitals in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties is also taking precautions.
