TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Fighting the coronavirus has left many states with limited supplies and medical equipment, and Kansas is no different.
Governor Laura Kelly says she has submitted six requests to the Federal Government for supplies since mid-March. Her requests have included masks and gowns for health care staff, as well as more testing supplies.
The Governor says she was notified that the requests were received and approved, but no supplies have been sent. She says many other states are in the same boat.
“I spend time every week on a phone call with all of the other governors and they’re all pulling their hair out,” said Governor Kelly.
The Governor says the federal government was not prepared to handle a pandemic of this scale.
“When this pandemic began in China, should have been the time that we were looking very, very closely at what we had on hand at the Federal level and prepared a system for distribution to the states,” explained Governor Kelly. “It was clear, from the get-go, that this was going to be a global problem. We just didn’t take it seriously enough, soon enough.”
