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Janet Ybarra
Democrat
Former Washington Journalist
Contributor on The Bipartisan Press
As the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the United States, the ongoing need for medical supplies is a critical factor in the battle against the disease.
In the United States, the latest numbers are 26,908 sickened and 348 left dead.
Among the most critical supplies are N95 masks, coronavirus test kits, and respirators.
Skilled workers in the Detroit area who have worked for the automakers could be put back to work, as those auto plants are temporarily shut down, perhaps some old auto plants could be retrofitted so as to increase production of ventilators and other needed equipment.
However, what’s needed is direction from Donald Trump, according to Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
“We have amazing engineers. We have the best workers, highly skilled workers that can turn it around. But it does take time. What they need are direct orders coming in. Now we have Defense Production Act,” said Peters, referring to a Korean War-era law which Trump recently invoked in response to the coronavirus outbreak. “The administration has to start saying, ‘We need these businesses to start doing that.’
“But I also want to be realistic about it. You have to change production lines from auto assembly. That is not something you can do overnight, but it is something you should start. I was talking to the CEO of Steelcase, a furniture manufacturer here in Michigan, he is ready to do that,” Peters added. “They’re not making office furniture — or they are still doing it, but office furniture, obviously demand is going down as people are working at home. But he told me, ‘We can make hospital beds, we can make gurneys, we can make partitions to be able to keep people safely separated.’ They’re willing to do that. They just need direction from the administration: ‘What do you want us to do? We can do it.’ In that case, going from office furniture to a hospital bed is a much quicker transition.
“Clearly, we’re going to need more hospital beds if the capacity in our hospitals is overwhelmed. We’re going to need that type of equipment. But we need action now. This takes time. We need direction now from the administration,” he added. “Start engaging the industrial and manufacturing muscle of this country, and we can do it.”
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COMMENTS (1)
Granted both GM and Ford said they can do it! Sure but as one that has worked in manufacturing plants it isn’t as easy as a snap of the fingers and it is done. It is great that the picture shows those nice little robots making these whatever they are. But hey guys the robots that Ford and GM use are monsters compared to those babies. And then it isn’t just show the thing a picture and they will build it. Programing is required. And then how about training for the people that have always just been putting a certain part on a certain car? Not to put these people down, I am not. But training is required, even in factories where the are producing a Mark One Widgit and need to start making a Mark Two Widgit. Training is required. And lets not forget all about the need for even stronger quality control. A bad part on you car in most cases will not kill you. But even a missing screw, or one tightened to much can kill you. And how about the ones with the existing patients on the things.
Sure Ford, GM, Fiat can say that. What they don’t say is how much of a government particaption they would require to make it happen. And then of course to reverse the entire process more money. Maybe in the old days (think WWII) businesses were a little more willing t say the country. Now days, not so much, now it is protect the shareholder first. Hell even in WWII business made sure they made money.
ALl of this is a lot of wishful thinking. What is, and was already needed was thinking of all these needs before they became urgant. Prior planning prevents piss poor results.