HHS is cancelling hundreds of millions in ventilator contracts, says national stockpile is fullhttps://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/hhs-cancelling-hundreds-millions-ventilator-contracts-says-nationalThe Department of Health and Human Services is cancelling some of its remaining orders for ventilators, after establishing $3 billion in emergency contracts during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic.
The agency said Tuesday that the national stockpile is now full, with nearly 120,000 machines available to be deployed to health officials around the country, should the need arise.
“By terminating the remainder of deliveries from these contracts, HHS is balancing federal stockpile requirements with commercial market demand for ventilators, said agency spokeswoman Carol Danko. "As a result, HHS is saving the U.S. taxpayer millions of dollars by halting delivery of additional ventilators that are no longer required.â€
As long ago as May it was clear to me that the yuge ventilator buys were intended to cover possible worst-case needs
PLUS restocking the national stockpile. It also results in a situation in which there is large national capacity to supply needs domestically (and even export!). You'd almost think this was planned,
!
