Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pushing the Biden Administration to help Georgia’s hospitals and dialysis centers amid a national IV shortage.
Today, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry urging the Administration to strengthen production and supply of IV and dialysis solutions that have become increasingly harder to access in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Baxter International’s factory in North Carolina, one of the largest suppliers of IV fluids in the country, suffered extensive damage and shut down, according to local news reports, which has drastically reduced supply of IV and dialysis solutions to hospitals in Georgia.
According to a report by FOX5 Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s most recent delivery included only 40% of its normal supply. According to reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miller County Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Colquitt, was turned down when they sought medical supplies from Baxter International.
“In Georgia, hospitals are canceling non-emergency procedures and surgeries to conserve fluids. I have heard many hospitals are down to a 7-day supply, and hospitals in southern Georgia are accepting patients from Florida in the wake of Hurricane Helene which has increased the need for IV fluids,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to President Biden. “A prolonged shortage of IV and dialysis solutions would be disastrous for the health and safety of Georgians and would make it more difficult for medical professionals to provide care.”
Sen. Ossoff continues working to ensure Georgia’s hospitals have the resources they need to care for patients.
In May, Sen. Ossoff delivered Federal funding for Tift Regional Health System to help upgrade health care services with state-of-the-art equipment for traditional and peritoneal dialysis at Tift Regional Health System, which serves 12 counties in South Georgia.
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s inquiry with the Biden Administration.
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