Washington.- The governor Wanda Vázquez Garced This week, he asked Congress for more assistance from the federal government to prevent Puerto Rico’s health system from collapsing during the emergence of coronaviruYes, because he fears that there will not be enough beds or respirators when the peak of the cases reaches the Island.
“… Our hospitals and healthcare providers need additional support and resources to serve the expected increase in patients. Otherwise, the health system of our island could collapse due to the anticipated pressure on our system, “said Vázquez Garced, in a letter sent to the leadership of Congress on Wednesday, ahead of a forthcoming federal economic stimulus bill.
In the letter, the governor said that hospitals in Puerto Rico have 1,078 ventilators or respirators – 575 owned and 503 rented – of which 297 are in use.
That left the health system with 781 fans available on Wednesday. Regarding intensive unit beds, the governor said they have 604, of which 269 were not being used.
Vázquez Garced maintained that a virus transmission rate of 14% is projected, which “in the best case scenario would require approximately 1,000 beds of intensive (and) ventilator units.”
The letter was addressed to Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Minority Leader Charles Schumer, and Speaker of the Republican Minority cameral, Kevin McCarthy.
The governor also requested that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) be authorized to advance reimbursements to Medicare Advantage plans – under which are the majority of the elderly on the Island – as has been done with the general Medicare program .
The governor said that Puerto Rico will need new funds to support first aid workers in the health system and police authorities.
Although his government has requested an administrative amendment, Vázquez Garced advocated that the Cares economic stimulus law be amended to allow the federal unemployment benefits granted by that statute to apply on the island as of March 15, when the mandate to that people stay at home and the curfew.
It also called for FEMA community disaster loans – CDL, which can be forgiven – for the island’s local governments, as well as increased fiscal assistance to the state government.
To meet the reconstruction needs of structures, after the earthquakes at the beginning of the year, Vázquez Garced recalled that the Senate Republicans have pending bill 5687 approved in the Lower House, which allocates $ 4,890 million mainly for the Island to address the damage caused by those earthquakes to schools, homes, churches and other structures.
He also claimed that the funds allocated to mitigate the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Maria can be used interchangeably to finance the recovery related to the earthquakes, a language that is part of the Democratic project 5687 approved in the House of Representatives.
He made specific reference to legislation to allow the indiscriminate use of funds from the community development program to address disasters (CDBG-DR). But, it also called for additional funds from the continuous care program (Coc) and to remove limits from other programs to respond strongly to the coronavirus pandemic.
Recalling that House Bill 5687 allocates $ 101 million to the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Vázquez Garced warned Congress that those funds are needed to provide alternatives for online classes to students in the public education system.
Vázquez Garced renewed the request to allocate $ 1.27 billion in food assistance funds to the Island, and full access to the federal dependent child tax credit (CTC), another measure included in project 5687.
ANDIn another letter to the Congressional leadership, while Commissioner Jenniffer González agreed with Governor Vázquez Garced to request the $ 1.27 billion in food assistance and expedite reimbursements for Medicare Advantage.
“Hospitals have been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of responding to efforts on the coronavirus, which increases supply needs and forces them to incur extraordinary expenses. The situation in Puerto Rico is serious, and needs urgent attention, “said Commissioner González
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