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| Ventilators like this one are a subject of extreme interest as we are in the midst of the Chinese Coronavirus. I have requested a daily report of the total number available in Escambia County as a percentage of the total. Right now 80% of our local hospital's ventilators are currently available according to the data I received late yesterday afternoon |
We hear all about it in the news, the need for and lack of "Ventilators" in areas hard-hit by COVID-19.
The Governor of New York and the President of the United States are engaged in an open war of words in the media over availability of "Ventilators."
The President is using the Defense Production Act to FORCE General Motors to manufacture ventilators for the country.
Bottom Line: Suddenly, everyone now cares a great deal about about a piece of hospital equipment that three months ago nobody even recognized at all........
Nine days ago at our last Board of County Commissioners' meeting- I asked the CEO's of the area's three Hospitals for the total numbers of ventilators possessed locally, and the numbers utilized and the numbers vacant.
These are numbers I want to see reported to the county's Emergency Operations Center daily. This would be useful information for the citizens to know.
Why?
To me, this will be the earliest indicator of a significant problem locally the likes of which we are seeing in New York and Washington State. This number, the number utilized as a percentage of the total available, will be our area's "canary in the coal mine" early warning system.
So I have requested and I will continue to push for this metric to be provided daily and placed on our daily SITREP. I'll report that here as well.
Yesterday, I received the first report I requested since the meeting 9 days ago.
Here's our current status:
"Here are the number of ventilators at the hospitals:
Total Number - 201
Total Available – 162
Total In-use - 39"
Very good indicator for the local amount of critical patients affected by the virus. This will be a good tracking ratio moving forward we need to monitor to ensure adequate resources for the residents of the county.
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