Prognosis

Hospitals Struggle With Testing, Protective Gear, Report Finds

  • HHS OIG report surveyed 323 hospitals across the U.S.
  • Testing issues have aggravated protective equipment shortages
Ambulances sit parked outside an emergency room in New York on April 3.Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg
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Testing for Covid-19 and keeping staff safe amid severe shortages of protective equipment are among the biggest challenges facing U.S. health providers in the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government survey of more than 300 hospitals.

Insufficient supplies of key testing components and long waits for virus test results have compounded deficits of personal protective resources, staff and hospital beds, according to the report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.