Stop Relying on China. We Need to Start Manufacturing PPE Here in the U.S. | Opinion
GILES KYSER , 18 June 2021
The U.S. public health system is part of our country’s center of gravity: a critical sustaining element of our society and a comparative advantage that sets us apart from—and supports—other parts of the world. But our system is not without its challenges. We witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic how a vulnerable healthcare system exposes our communities to a cascading set of problems, highlighting just how important it is to strengthen our public health infrastructure.
Over the last year, our healthcare workers and first responders struggled against equipment shortages. At the same time, the American workforce experienced a screeching halt to the economy. While the private sector stepped in to fill the gaps they could, the lack of both consumable and durable personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers was a glaring hole and revealed a critical vulnerability to our healthcare center of gravity.
America possesses the resources to produce and distribute critical medical equipment in times of crisis, so why couldn’t we?
