Whenever we have to go to the hospital, or to see our medical providers in general, we barely pay any mind to the equipment the doctors and nurses use.
For instance, the gloves, masks, syringes, and other items used during a routine visit seem like they would always be in a nearly endless supply.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our systems can be when we are faced with a crisis.
Luckily, with the help of groups like Vizient, who can access the Novaplus enhanced supply program, health care equipment shortages are a thing of the past.
Why We’ve Had Supply Issues Throughout the Pandemic
In the last few years, we’ve seen numerous reports about decreased supplies across all industries. At one point, wood and building materials were extremely hard to come by. At other times, there were significant shortages of certain foods. And, of course, we saw a very frightening shortage of medical supplies during this time as well.
But why was this the case and how did this happen?
Well, the answer is fairly complicated, but in general, we can look to our complex global supply chains to see why shortages were such an issue.
Global Supply Chains
To be fair, we do have some regional supply chains within a single country. There are companies who use suppliers and manufacturers located within just a few miles of the final product destination.
However, the majority of our goods across all industries come from global, interconnected supply chains.
This means that a company in the United States might work with a supplier in China, a manufacturer in Vietnam, and other groups from other countries throughout the supply chain. Furthermore, each of these groups may also outsource work to subcontractors.
For these reasons, it’s almost impossible to untangle the complicated web of global supply chains whenever something goes wrong.
This is one of the issues we’ve faced throughout the pandemic, especially with regard to medical supplies. Due to government restrictions and the desire to contain the virus, it was very difficult to work with other parts of the supply chain that were located in other countries.
Additionally, constant port backups at the major hubs around the world made it very difficult to import or export anything by sea.
How Vizient Can Solve Supply Chain Issues
Vizient is focused on ensuring that all healthcare systems are equipped with every tool they need. In order to do so, Vizient works with the Novaplus enhanced supply program. This program allows Vizient to source materials from multiple suppliers and helps to guarantee that all hospitals and healthcare facilities are stocked with PPE and other materials for months in advance.
If you’re concerned about your healthcare system’s ability to cope with issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to contact Vizient today. With their incredible resources and their access to the Novaplus enhanced supply program, you’ll never have to worry about your staff running out of PPE again.
