New revelations from a state audit have uncovered that New York, under the direction of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, spent close to $453 million on medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of which remains unused and collecting dust in warehouses, as reported by The New York Post and Gothamist.
The state's comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, revealed the staggering figure that Cuomo's office invested in pandemic readiness, purchasing ventilators and X-ray machines among others, yet only three out of nearly 250,000 pieces of equipment were distributed to hospitals, the stockpile increased from around 4,800 items to over 252,000, but a large portion of this inventory remains untracked and past due for maintenance his audit details a situation where the Department of Health (DOH) officials admitted that some items could have been put into use without proper recording.
Although Cuomo received praise for his initial response to the crisis, this audit adds to the growing critique of his administration's later actions, "Our recollection was that far more equipment went out the door," told Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, as per Gothamist, expressing a difference in opinion with the findings, Azzopardi's comments reflect an administration grappling with crisis management under tight deadlines.
DiNapoli's report also criticized the lack of transparency and accountability in the procurement process, which during the pandemic departed from normal protocols resulting in the Department of Health being sidelined, the spokesperson for the DOH deflected responsibility by stating the purchasing decisions were out of their "purview" at the time, as gathered from a statement given to The New York Post.
These findings come amidst ongoing discussions on pandemic preparedness and the management of public funds, with DiNapoli stressing the need for a coherent plan to handle surplus items and maintain stockpiles for any future emergencies, a clear plan and actionable steps are yet to be outlined by the state's health department to address these issues and manage the extensive inventory that remains in stasis.
