Missouri hospitals Archives

Hawley calls for surge of personal protective equipment into Missouri hospitals

March 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A U.S. Senator from Missouri who serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill says the state’s hospitals need more personal protective equipment (PPE).

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) speaks to Missourinet during an interview on March 25, 2020 (photo courtesy of Senator Hawley’s office)

Senator Josh Hawley (R) tells Missourinet that he’s spoken to the leaders of almost every hospital in the state.

“All of them … rural, urban, suburban … all of them need more,” Hawley says. “They need more tests, they need more protective equipment, they need more masks.”

Hawley says the hospitals need a large infusion of the equipment.

“We’ve got to surge this into the hospitals, frankly I think that the FDA has been too slow in getting this stuff out there,” says Hawley.

Hawley is in regular contact with Governor Mike Parson (R), who announced Saturday evening that Missouri’s Strategic National Stockpile warehouse has shipped about 5,000 gloves and 2,717 cases of masks to hospitals, EMS and long-term care facilities in the state.

The governor also says about 43,000 face shields have been shipped, along with 908 cases of surgical gowns. There are about 18 to 30 surgical gowns in a case, depending on the size.

Parson also says PPE for first responders have been purchased, and that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has ordered millions of items. They include 6.6 million surgical masks, 5.8 million gloves, 4.3 million N-95 masks, 214,000 containers of disinfecting wipes and about 74,000 safety goggles.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced on Sunday afternoon that there are now 903 confirmed coronavirus cases in Missouri, in addition to 12 deaths.

As for Senator Hawley, he says Missouri hospitals will also need more ventilators, and he praises President Trump for invoking the Defense Production Act. The president invoked it on Friday, ordering General Motors (GM) to produce ventilators for the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Politico” reports President Trump wants to see GM produce the ventilators at their recently closed plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

There have been more than 1,000 Missouri deaths from flu and pneumonia this season

March 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri hospitals and doctor’s offices strained by the coronavirus pandemic are also dealing with what has been a deadly pneumonia and flu season.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) logo (image courtesy of DHSS)

The latest statistics from the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) show that there have been 95,608 lab-positive influenza cases in Missouri this season, including 8,222 during the last week reporting in March.

DHSS says there have been 63 flu-associated deaths in Missouri so far this season. There have been 1,119 pneumonia and flu deaths in Missouri together this season.

The department also reports there have been 11 influenza outbreaks this season, along with seven school closures.

The cases are putting a strain on medical offices and doctors, who are also dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. DHSS reports there are now 106 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, along with three deaths statewide.

Missouri’s governor is warning that the coronavirus numbers will continue to increase.

One of those 106 confirmed COVID-19 cases is veteran State Rep. Joe Runions, D-Grandview, who remains hospitalized at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kansas City.

Representative Runions spoke to Governor Mike Parson on the phone on Sunday, and is urging the governor to do everything in his power to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, and to make sure hospitals have access to supplies.