U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing for FEMA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services to provide military doctors and nurses to help out area hospitals overburdened by the surge in COVID patients.
Speaking at Strong Memorial Hospital, Schumer said the 12 hospitals in the Finger Lakes region are under a perfect storm of incoming COVID patients, while staff is also getting sick with COVID and going into quarantine. He says the answer is to "send in the military."
Schumer says FEMA emergency teams with military doctors, nurses and orderlies are working in Buffalo and Syracuse, but not Rochester because they're only allowed to work at public hospitals under their current rules. Schumer wants FEMA to change those rules so the military teams can work at private hospitals like Strong and Rochester General.