The COVID19 pandemic has shown that Public health has strategic implications. If a country is deficient in domestic production of medical devices and medications it is vulnerable to blackmail.
Look at Iran, they are being forced to choose between their people's health and the policies they feel are in the national best interests. We are lucky enough to have friends who will help... for now. Maybe next time we won't.
We are mostly self-sufficient in medication. We have little by the way of medical device production. We are scouring the planet for ventilators.
Once this pandemic passes the military orgs need to lead the way in establishing production for ventilators and other important medical devices. Ideally, the civil industry should have done this, but they are rent-seeking leeches and won't do it unless there is an easy profit. So the military will have to do so.
We also need to create a national strategic reserve of such items.
Look at Iran, they are being forced to choose between their people's health and the policies they feel are in the national best interests. We are lucky enough to have friends who will help... for now. Maybe next time we won't.
We are mostly self-sufficient in medication. We have little by the way of medical device production. We are scouring the planet for ventilators.
Once this pandemic passes the military orgs need to lead the way in establishing production for ventilators and other important medical devices. Ideally, the civil industry should have done this, but they are rent-seeking leeches and won't do it unless there is an easy profit. So the military will have to do so.
We also need to create a national strategic reserve of such items.
