Bucks County ER Doctor Sounds Alarm As Hospitals Running Short On Medical Supplies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Joe Holden reports.

PLUNGED 80 0 POINTS SNAMING AROUGH START TO TRADING ON WALLSTREET TOMORROW.LOCAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS ONTHE FRONT LINES OF THIS FIGHTAGAINST COVID-19 AND SOME OFTHEM TELL US THEY'RE FACINGSEVERE SUPPLY SHORTAGES ISPOKE WITH ER DOCTOR TODAY.WE'RE JOINED BY JOSETERANAS FROM ST.

MARY'S WHATIS BIGGEST CRITICAL PRESSINGNEED IN YOUR DEPARTMENT RIGHTNOW.WHAT WE'RE SEEING THANK YOUFOR HAVING ME AND WHAT WE'RESEEING RIGHT NOW ON THE FRONTLINES IS THAT WE ARE QUUKLYRUNNING OUT OF PERSONALPROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OTHERWISEKNOWN AS PPE AND I THINK RIGHTNOW AT ATHE PROVIDER LEVELBOTH EMS AND DOCTORS ANDNURSES IS THAT WE NEED TO NOTLEAVE OUR PROVIDERS SHORT IS.HOW ARE YOU GETTING BY INTHE MEANTIME.WE'RE HAVING TO DEVISEWAYS TO REUSE MASKS THAT WEREONCE DEEMED ONE TIME USE WE'REPUTTING THEM IN PAPER BAGS ANDLETTING THEM AIR OUT.I'LL BE HONEST A NUMBER OFCOLLEAGUES LOOKED INTO YouTUBEVIDEOS OF HOW TO CLEAN ORREUSE OUR EQUIPMENT.FROM WHAT YOU KNOW FROMYOUR FIELD, YOUR EXPERIENCE ISTHAT -- IS THAT HOW IT SHOULDBE HAPPENING.I THINK THAT IF YOU ASKEDANYBODY IN A SITUATION OF CALMAND WITH PLENTY OF RESOURCESAND TIME, THAT ANYBODY WOULDTILL THAT THAT IS NOT WHATWOULD BE EXPECTED TO KEEP OURCOMMUNITY SAFE.WE ARE A HOSPITAL.EVERY HOSPITAL DEALS WITH THEENTIRE COMMUNITY AND SO IF WEDON'T ENOUGH PROVIDERS TO TAKECARE OF THOSE SICK PATIENTSWE'RE IN TROUBLE.DOCTOR YOU HAD THE PLATFORMHERE WHAT'S THE MESSAGE TOGOVERN, U.S. SENATORS,CONGRESS.WE FEED TO THINK AHEAD ANDNEED TO THINK BOLDLY.THE COMBINATION OF HAVING MOREVENTILATORS, THE COMBINATIONOF HAVING BEDS, HAVING ENOUGHCONTINGENCY STAFFING MODELS IFA LOT OF PROVIDERS GO SICKIT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FLATTENINGTHE CURVE BUT BRINGING THATFLAT LINE UP ON THE CURVES ANDIF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGHDOCTORS AND NURSES ANDRESPIRATORY THERAPY TOYINGTSTAKE CARE OF PEOPLE THAT'S ONEPROBLEM AND THE OTHER PROBLEMIS IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGHVENTILATORS OR BEDS FORSICKEST PATIENTS YOUR DOCTORSWILL NUMBER A DIFFICULTPOSITION OF HAVING TO CHOOSEWHAT PATIENT GET THEVENTILATOR WHICH IS SHOWN TOINCREASE SURVIVAL ODDS.WE'LL BE PUT IN VERY DIFFICULTSITUATION IF WE DO NOT ACTQUICKLY.ARE YOU AN EMERGENCY ROOMPHYSICIAN, CORRECT.CES.WHAT'S THE MOOD LIKE IN THEER.RIGHT NOW IT'S A LITTLE BITOF A CALM BEFORE THE STORM.I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HEADEDADVICE TO STAY HOME.I APPRECIATE THATSIGNIFICANTLY THAT THECOMMUNITY IS LISTENING.I THINK THE GOVERNMENT HASDONE A GOOD JOB IN TERMS ATLEAST RECENTLY GETTING THEMESSAGE OUT THAT WE NEED TOSOCIAL DISTANCE.AND BUT I THINK EVEN MOREIMPORTANTLY THAN ANY OF THISIS THAT WE NEED TO SAVE LIVESAND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OURPROVIDERS AND WE'RE NERVOUSAND SCARED BECAUSE WE DON'THAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT ANDHAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT AND ANYONE HOSPITAL THIS ISCOUNTRYWIDE.ST.

MARY'S MEDICAL CENTERIN LANGHORNE, DOCTOR, THANKYOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PLEASESTAY SAFE.AS WE WERE SAYING GOOD-BYE TOTHE DOCTOR WORDS FROM HIM THATREALLY HIT HOME.HONGTLY PLEASE, WE ARE --WE ARE ADVOCATING AND YOU GUYSARE AMPLIFYARE AMPLIFIER FOR US.AND THIS IS SOMETHING THATWE'LL KEEP -- THERE'S PEOPLELISTENING NOW IN YOURNEWSROOM.PEOPLE WILL KNOW PEOPLE WHOWILL DIE IF WE DO NOT ACTQUICKLY AND BRAVELY AND THAT'STHE SITUATION WE'RE FACINGRIGHT NOW.THATS WITH A SHOCKINGMOMENT.WELL, I WAS ABLE TO VIRTUALLYASK GOVERNOR TOM WOLF WHATPENNSYLVANIA IS DOING ABOUTPERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT?HE SAYS CONVERSATIONS CONTINUEWITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AND HAVEHAD CONVERSATIONS WITHMANUFACTURERS WHO ARE HOPINGTHEY CAN REUP US THEIRMANUFACTURING LINES TO PRODUCEMASKS AND IF WE DON'T FINDTHOSE THEN THE QUESTIONER ISWRITE THE HEALTHCARE WORKERSARE GOING TO BE PUT IN HARM'S