Industry Welcomes Government Direction On Allocation of Ventilators

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) today sent a letterto the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the administration calling for centralization of procurement and allocation decision-making for medical ventilators to address the coronanvius pandemic and help ensure appropriate access to health care providers and patients.

“The medtech industry today is mobilizing at never-before-seen levels to address surging global demand for essential equipment and win the fight against the coronavirus,” said Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of AdvaMed. “Many companies are adding shifts and production lines in order to provide health care providers and patients the essential supplies they need to beat the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“For ventilator systems in particular – which are essential for many of the sickest COVID-19 patients to help them breathe – manufacturers are producing as many systems as possible through significant production increases. However, given unprecedented global demand for these products, we believe the most effective way to ensure appropriate sourcing and allocation, based on patient needs, is for the administration to designate a lead agency, such as FEMA, to oversee these decisions with the active input of clinical experts, the CDC, and the medical technology industry,” Whitaker said.

For a copy of the letter, please click here.

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AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.