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Senators Call On FEMA To Prioritize Medical Oxygen For Puerto Rico

Ramon Espinosa
/
AP
A woman affected by Hurricane Maria receives oxygen at the hospital in Catano, Puerto Rico, in September. Hospitals on the island are now reporting dangerously low levels of medical oxygen.

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s hospitals are experiencing a great need for medical oxygen, with some beginning to ration their supply.

Connecticut senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, along with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, say a major supply company operating in their states told them that its Puerto Rican partners are running dangerously low on medical oxygen, and that they’re desperate to ship more.

The senators sent a letter on Wednesday to FEMA Administrator Brock Long, urging him to make medical oxygen an immediate priority as it continues to oversee the recovery effort.