> But if the deeper problem is there, is there any short term solution?
No.
> Sure we can start training people and make lots of incentives for people to enter the field, but that will take years.
Yes. But it should be done.
Also, there shouldn't be shortages of saline IV solution and bacteriostatic water -- but no one's rebuilding the factories destroyed by hurricanes in Puerto Rico because there's not "enough" of a shortage to make ROI on new factories.
Most medical supplies need to be moderately overproduced every year via subsidies just like our crops and basic foods are. Otherwise the rationality of the commodities markets will ensure there's constantly a light/partial shortage of basic healthcare goods like..."water".
Some things should not be ruthlessly efficient; what appears to be waste is tail risk premium. Alas, that “efficiency savings” becomes someone’s bonus or profit, and a loss for the rest of us.
Allow CEOs to keep their performance-based bonuses. However, add a stick to balance out that carrot, like capital punishment if your hospital falls below a certain level of patient outcome on the year.
Seriously though, if the people responsible for hospital cutbacks had to rely on the same level of care the average American gets, we would never have gotten to this state.
We have to compensate the supply chain for accepting the burden of being prepared for these risks. Today we pass “anti-gouging” laws declaring that we refuse to value it at all.
No.
> Sure we can start training people and make lots of incentives for people to enter the field, but that will take years.
Yes. But it should be done.
Also, there shouldn't be shortages of saline IV solution and bacteriostatic water -- but no one's rebuilding the factories destroyed by hurricanes in Puerto Rico because there's not "enough" of a shortage to make ROI on new factories.
Most medical supplies need to be moderately overproduced every year via subsidies just like our crops and basic foods are. Otherwise the rationality of the commodities markets will ensure there's constantly a light/partial shortage of basic healthcare goods like..."water".