President Trump has ordered a reduction in hospital rules that could be obstacles to treating coronavirus patients.
Trump has given Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services, broader authority to waive laws that would keep doctors and nurses from treating as many coronavirus patients as possible.
“[Healthcare workers] know what they have to do,” Trump said. “Now, they don’t have any problem getting it done.”
Hospitals will be able to treat patients in all parts of the hospital so they can keep up with the number of patients coming in. Critical-access hospitals will also no longer have to limit the maximum number of beds they can fill, 25, and can care for people in intensive care units for longer than 96 hours.
Azar will also allow hospitals to bring on additional staff, without having to go through the regular regulatory steps, if they find they don’t have the number of healthcare providers necessary for the influx of patients in the coming weeks.
“We’ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they’re entitled to,” Trump said. “No resource will be spared. Nothing whatsoever.”
