SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Shannon Medical Center has announced that it will delay elective and nonessential procedures due to an ongoing nationwide IV fluid shortage sparked by damages from Hurricane Helene.

According to Shannon, flooding from Hurricane Helene caused the largest IV fluid manufacturer in North Carolina to shut down. The shutdown brought about an IV fluid shortage across the nation, affecting hospitals throughout the United States.

"As a result, the majority of all hospitals are not receiving their usual supply," Shannon said.

Shannon said that the manufacturer, which is its primary IV fluid supplier, has since resumed operations. The manufacturer is not yet at maximum capacity, however, and the aftermath of the shutdown is still being felt.

"Shannon has been watching this and proactively maintaining our supplies, but we were just informed by our supplier that we will not receive our scheduled shipment of IV fluid for the next two weeks," Shannon said.

To compensate for the lack of incoming supplies, Shannon has decided to delay elective and nonessential procedures "to ensure adequate supplies are available for life-saving emergency care." The hospital network stated that it is monitoring the situation and will resume these procedures as soon as it has an adequate supply of IV fluid again.

"We understand this is very inconvenient for our patients, many who have waited for their scheduled procedure," Shannon said. "We will continue to work with our patients to reschedule their procedures as soon as possible. We appreciate your help as we work together through this situation."

News Source : https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/local-news/shannon-delays-select-procedures-amid-national-iv-fluid-shortage/