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Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A North Carolina facility is leading efforts to restore the nation's depleted supply of IV solutions after Hurricane Helene temporarily put it out of business. The shortage of IV solutions has prompted President Joe Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to rapidly rebuild a North Carolina manufacturing facility that was damaged by the hurricane.
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The Baxter medical supplies manufacturing plant in North Cove, N.C., supplied about 60% of the nation's IV solutions but has been closed since Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 and saturated much of the southeastern United States with excessive rainfall.
"In a matter of weeks, our team has advanced from the depths of Hurricane Helene's impact to restarting our highest-throughput manufacturing line," Baxter Chief Executive Officer Jose Almeida said Thursday in a prepared statement.
"This is a pivotal milestone, but more hard work remains as we work to return the plant to full production," he added.
Resuming production will help alleviate the shortage of IV solutions, but other measures are in place to help ensure a suitable supply.
"Baxter has now restarted manufacturing of some IV solutions," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement on Thursday. "The output from the restarted line ... will supplement product that is being imported from abroad."
Becerra said steps are being take to ensure the imported IV solutions are safe while ensuring access to the solutions for those who need them.
Steps also are being taken to conserve the IV solutions, so they are available when needed.
"Whether they have experienced a supply disruption or not, we encourage manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and providers to continue to take measures to conserve these important products," Becerra said.
Biden and former President Donald Trump each invoked the wartime powers of the Defense Production Act to produce COVID-19 vaccines, test swabs and access ventilators during the pandemic.
