Blockchain and PPE
During this time of renewal and...well...fear, we look to solutions that can help either shed light on the current situation or on things that can help make things better. For example, there has been a surge of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suppliers making lucrative deals by buying, selling, or orchestrating the purchase and transfer of valuable PPE equipment. A lot of this equipment is made in surplus overseas, therefore those with connections in those areas (such as China) are more likely to secure that revenue. How does one secure all of this? The answer: Blockchain. In an article written by Healthcare IT News, dated April of 2020, the discussion around securing this valuable asset was discussed.
"'Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real,' World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said. 'Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We cannot stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first.'"
Even though April was 4 months ago, this issue continues. Many companies who are securing and facilitating the purchase of PPE are looking for high security tech companies that can help expedite and facilitate these transactions. Blockchain might just be the answer. For my company, FemTech Solutions, we have been rebranding and revamping our model to focus solely on healthcare security. What goes into this is fascinating. Not only do we have to follow proper technical security protocols, but HIPAA compliance as well. The idea that many companies are investing without knowing if a technology firm is compliant with healthcare regulations may seem silly, but it is a real and dangerous threat to the overall supply chain providing valuable PPE equipment to our healthcare workers.
In light of this, the writer of this article proposes a federal program that among other things : "Importantly, this program will use blockchain technology to monitor and control the allocation of resources. The use of blockchain can be extremely beneficial in monitoring these stockpiles and allowing for the allocation of resources quickly and efficiently. " .
The reality is blockchain is here to stay, and until we've developed a vaccine that can take on the, now 6, strains of the virus running rampant, we need a way to secure our healthcare workers and the general populace. Without technology security it cannot be done efficiently. Therefore blockchain is a plausible and tangible solution that will only help in the current market and give medical workers what they need to continue saving lives.
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/blog/how-blockchain-could-help-manage-ppe-allocation