Doctors at the LBJ Hospital say essential supplies are running low because vendors are withholding shipments because of non payment of bills.
Two doctors whom KHJ News spoke with said they do not have sufficient supplies to do swabs, and the lab is running low on supplies to conduct blood tests. Speaking on condition that they not be named they said the shortage of supplies started last month and they have been told that it’s due to vendors withholding shipments because the hospital has not paid its bills.
The doctors have met on their own to discuss how best to take care of patients, making patient safety a priority, with the resources available.
The doctors said they wanted to bring the situation to light as it’s critical for the hospital to get the needed supplies as soon as possible One said. “We’re faced with the difficulty of having to scale back treatment because of lack of supplies and equipment. It’s unfair to the patients and to us,” adding that the government needs to step in and help.
The physicians also pointed out that this comes at time when the ER and clinics are always full.
The doctors say they have raised alarm with the Chief Medical Officer but he too has not received a committed response from the LBJ Finance Office.
When reached over the weekend, LBJ CEO Scott Anesi said they have encountered some issues with airfreighting medical supplies, but the shortage should be alleviated with the arrival of a full container load. He acknowledged that the Finance Office is negotiating with four vendors that have high aging accounts before they can resume supplying orders.
When asked about the ASG subsidy for the LBJ Hospital, Anesi revealed that the hospital has not received any subsidy payments from the government since 2024.
