An audit by the New York State Comptroller’s Office has revealed that the state spent hundreds of millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic on medical equipment that was largely never used.
According to the audit, New York paid $452.8 million to purchase 247,343 items of durable medical equipment (DME), such as ventilators, CPAP machines, oxygen tanks, and other equipment, and received 51 additional items through donations or federal sources. Only three items from the newly purchased stockpile were distributed while around 324 items from the old stockpile were used.
“During the pandemic, New York state quickly purchased medical equipment to address the public health crisis,” said State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Now, hundreds of thousands of unused devices sit idle. I urge the Department of Health to develop and execute a strategic plan for the maintenance and use of these and future medical equipment purchases, so New York is well prepared for the next public health emergency.”
