'We Are Broke:' NY Pays $25K Per Ventilator, Cuomo Says
NEW YORK CITY — New York is going broke trying to buy ventilators before novel coronavirus reaches its predicted apex in as soon as two weeks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
A bidding war between states and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has spiked ventilator prices up to $25,000 per unit, making it near impossible for New York state to meet a mushrooming demand for the life-saving technology.
"You now literally have a company calling you up and literally saying, 'well California just outbid you,'" Cuomo said. "It's like being on eBay."
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During the COVID-19 apex, New York may need as many as 40,000 ventilators — machines that pump air into the lungs — as critical COVID-19 patients are rushed to overwhelmed hospitals across the state, Cuomo said.
President Donald Trump challenged Cuomo's estimations during a Fox News interview last week, telling Sean Hannity, “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be.”
Responded Cuomo Tuesday, "You know how you know I really, really believe we need that number? We are paying $25,000 per ventilator and we are broke."
But it may only get 14,300 ventilator in place in time, with 6,500 already distributed downstate, 4,400 donated by the federal government, 1,800 in the state stock pile and 2,600 arriving from China, Cuomo said.
The state had ordered 17,000 but high demand has meant extensive delays, Cuomo said.
"It is almost impossible to buy a ventilator," Cuomo said. "I can't buy a ventilator. Whatever we're willing to pay. "
Cuomo criticized the Trump administration for failing to regulate purchasing through the Defense Production Act and streamline distribution through FEMA.
When FEMA jumped into the China ventilator market, Cuomo said, the agency "basically big-footed the states."
In a desperate attempt to shorten the gap, the New York Health Department will begin moderate anesthesia and BiPAP machines to serve as ventilators and splice other ventilators to serve two patients at once.
"We're creative and we're working and we're figuring it out," Cuomo said. "I'm going to do everything I can to get the ventilators we need."
But medical experts warn splitting ventilators is a risky endeavor as the machines can cause lung damage if not calibrated specifically to an individual patient.
Meanwhile the number of COVID-19 cases continued to spike in New York City and New York State, data show.
The city had 43,139 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 932 deaths as of Wednesday morning and New York State had 75,795 cases with 1,550 deaths, records from the Governor's and Mayor's office show.
The apex of the COVID-19 pandemic could hit New York in between two and four weeks, Cuomo said, but could not say when it might end.
"When is it all over? Nobody knows," Cuomo said. "I can say this, it's not going to be soon."
Coronavirus In NYC: What's Happened And What You Need To Know
Case numbers are spiking since New York amped up its testing capacity.
New Yorkers who have mild symptoms, are younger than 50 and have no underlying health conditions should stay isolated at home. If symptoms don’t subside in three to four days, call a health care provider or 311.
Unless you’re seriously ill, avoid going to an emergency room or doctor’s office.
New Yorkers who have high priority because of age, pre-existing conditions and symptoms, can call 1-844-NYC-4NYC for more information.
This article originally appeared on the New York City Patch
