Why There is a Need to Setup PPE Clearinghouse?

Over the course of the pandemic, the marketplace producing high-quality personal protective equipment has met with the vested interest of meeting widespread demand.

However, it has been very difficult for the small communities and the underprivileged group to see the seamless navigation of PPE supplies. The primary reason is the increasing counterfeiting issues.

Despite the setting up of the website by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allows all the PPE manufacturers. Still, there is a curbing issue of stopping the counterfeiting and maintaining the regular flow of personal protective equipment across all reasons.

Thus, to combat the issue, a clearinghouse is required to maintain supply and protect the vested interest of medical professionals and frontline workers.

Why Do You Need PPE Clearinghouse?

The demand for PPE is still on the upper side as many healthcare facilities and frontline workers continue to request it. Even as of late February 2021 report, there was a condition of reusing of PPE due to shortage.  

Even after the year of the pandemic, healthcare facilities still experience a shortage of N95 masks and gloves. As per the report of Get Us PPE, 51% of the medical facilities used nitrile gloves and 50% of them requested for N95 because they had only a week’s supply left as of March 2021.

The setting up of the clearinghouse to meet the diverse demands of PPE is due to the following few reasons.

• Lack of Transparency:  It is essential to maintain the end-to-end transparency of the supply of N95 masks. Especially in regards to the limited capacity of material in the US to produce high-quality masks. Maintaining a level of transparency helps domestic producers to manufacture medical supplies in appropriate quantities. It further helps to combat the weaknesses of  the supply chain model and push the manufacturers to fix the issue.
  
  
• Combat with Supply Demand Disconnection: There has been a significant demand disconnect. Despite the aggressive production of PPE kits and supplied by several reliable personal protective equipment manufacturers, there lies the disconnect. One of the reasons is no buyer at the marketplace for the genuine safety gear. And, this actually resulted in almost 20 US manufacturers making N95 masks and still the demand is not met.
  
  
• Get Rid of Counterfeiting: One of the serious governing issues is counterfeiting. As per the report of the Federal Government on May 2021, $3.6 trillion fake masks have been seized. Even since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 15 million fake N95 masks have already been seized. And, out of which 3 million fake masks have been used in over 40 hospitals of the Washington state.

Major Role of PPE Clearinghouse

It has been well-proposed to set up a Clearinghouse website that lists all types of PPEs that help to adequately distribute the same. It is also meant to bring frequent updates to the registered and wholesale PPE suppliers in the USA while producing FDA/NIOSH-approved PPE.

Here, we are few suggested ways to update the clearinghouse.

• Need to expand the current list of respirators. It should include all kinds of masks like surgical masks, nitrile masks, and isolation gowns.
  
  User-friendly website for manufacturers and consumers to see different models of PPE based on their quality and working capacity. It further makes it easier for healthcare facilities to navigate and find the right products accordingly.
  
  
• The site should update the links of the manufacturers who supply the best quality PPE. It would help facilitate a secure and PPE stock within the healthcare system.
  
  
• Clearinghouse would be an essential tool for users to learn more about the usage of PPE and find the relevant type of manufacturer. So, that the best facilities can be experienced while maintaining health and safety.

Conclusion

The federally governed clearinghouse will solve the rising issues of PPE counterfeiting, increases efficiency, and provides a much-needed defence against fraudulent PPE. In case, you are looking for a wholesale supply of PPE kits of genuine quality and at the best price, then get in touch with Codefend.