Coronavirus Reveals a Weak Healthcare Industry
BY SYDNEY PASCAL '22
The coronavirus has affected all aspects of the United States and other countries throughout the world, especially the healthcare industry. Healthcare workers risk their safety every day because there are simply not enough supplies to protect them. Moreover, many unemployed Americans have lost access to healthcare. Although the US healthcare system has worked in the past, the coronavirus has revealed the healthcare system's inherent flaws and exposed its instability. These flaws pose a danger to society today and must be fixed in order to provide medical attention to those who need it. From manufacturing to insurance, it is clear that the system’s integrity is a weak one, prioritizing profit over well-being.
Hospitals across the country are facing supply shortages that are causing dangerous working environments. Specifically, doctors and nurses aren’t given adequate personal protective equipment to protect themselves while treating patients, resulting in many medical staff contracting the virus. Because of the limited supply of ventilators and masks, doctors and nurses are forced to break health codes and reuse the same mask for, at a minimum, a whole shift. Moreover, hospitals are also missing beds, which can be traced back to the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. This was an attempt to increase profit by lowering the number of hospital beds because less patients translates to less costs for hospitals. While this law would work in a normal hospital setting, it definitely doesn’t apply to extreme circumstances, like a pandemic. The lack of an adequate number of beds means less people who have COVID-19 or other ailments can be treated.
These current conditions not only reveal how unprepared we were for this pandemic, but also how unstable the US healthcare system is. First, we must understand the reason behind supply shortages. For masks, it comes down to the location of manufacturing. Like many other businesses, manufacturers tend to base their factories in foreign countries, like China. Manufacturing in a foreign setting is usually cheaper, thus turning out a greater profit. The pandemic generated a spike in the demand for masks, but suppliers could not deliver because imports decreased as manufacturing countries needed the masks for themselves. While foreign manufacturing saves money, it does not leave a bandwidth for widespread issues; in this case, the pandemic.
Americans need reliable healthcare now more than ever. With the immense amount of irremediable hardships the healthcare industry has faced, it's important to learn from our mistakes and prepare for the future. As stated previously, a major issue was lack of supplies for the overwhelming demand, so one solution would be to base more manufacturing in America. This may be a more expensive option, but it would be safer if a similar crisis were to happen in the future. In addition, the United States will be less reliant on other countries for their goods. The lack of businesses that manufacture parts in the United States also reveals how profit trumps accessibility and quality. Though it is easier to manufacture goods outside the US, hopefully the issues seen in the pandemic will sway businesses to think about the dangers of relying on other countries to handle valued products.
Ultimately, these situations indicate the healthcare industry’s true intentions and instability. Profit is seemingly valued over everything, and in this case, over the lives and health of the American people. Other countries aren't dealing with the same degree of sheer disorganization and unpreparedness. We should be fully capable of dealing with the pandemic, but the industry was not prepared; it was too set on gaining a profit. On a positive note, we now see the flaws in our system and have the capacity to change and grow. Developing industries domestically will have numerous benefits: it is more environment-friendly, the quality of the products can be monitored, and most importantly, products can become more accessible. Hopefully in the future, we will see an increase in domestic manufacturing and an increase in the well-being of the American people.
Hospitals across the country are facing supply shortages that are causing dangerous working environments. Specifically, doctors and nurses aren’t given adequate personal protective equipment to protect themselves while treating patients, resulting in many medical staff contracting the virus. Because of the limited supply of ventilators and masks, doctors and nurses are forced to break health codes and reuse the same mask for, at a minimum, a whole shift. Moreover, hospitals are also missing beds, which can be traced back to the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974. This was an attempt to increase profit by lowering the number of hospital beds because less patients translates to less costs for hospitals. While this law would work in a normal hospital setting, it definitely doesn’t apply to extreme circumstances, like a pandemic. The lack of an adequate number of beds means less people who have COVID-19 or other ailments can be treated.
These current conditions not only reveal how unprepared we were for this pandemic, but also how unstable the US healthcare system is. First, we must understand the reason behind supply shortages. For masks, it comes down to the location of manufacturing. Like many other businesses, manufacturers tend to base their factories in foreign countries, like China. Manufacturing in a foreign setting is usually cheaper, thus turning out a greater profit. The pandemic generated a spike in the demand for masks, but suppliers could not deliver because imports decreased as manufacturing countries needed the masks for themselves. While foreign manufacturing saves money, it does not leave a bandwidth for widespread issues; in this case, the pandemic.
Americans need reliable healthcare now more than ever. With the immense amount of irremediable hardships the healthcare industry has faced, it's important to learn from our mistakes and prepare for the future. As stated previously, a major issue was lack of supplies for the overwhelming demand, so one solution would be to base more manufacturing in America. This may be a more expensive option, but it would be safer if a similar crisis were to happen in the future. In addition, the United States will be less reliant on other countries for their goods. The lack of businesses that manufacture parts in the United States also reveals how profit trumps accessibility and quality. Though it is easier to manufacture goods outside the US, hopefully the issues seen in the pandemic will sway businesses to think about the dangers of relying on other countries to handle valued products.
Ultimately, these situations indicate the healthcare industry’s true intentions and instability. Profit is seemingly valued over everything, and in this case, over the lives and health of the American people. Other countries aren't dealing with the same degree of sheer disorganization and unpreparedness. We should be fully capable of dealing with the pandemic, but the industry was not prepared; it was too set on gaining a profit. On a positive note, we now see the flaws in our system and have the capacity to change and grow. Developing industries domestically will have numerous benefits: it is more environment-friendly, the quality of the products can be monitored, and most importantly, products can become more accessible. Hopefully in the future, we will see an increase in domestic manufacturing and an increase in the well-being of the American people.
