Elon Musk says he delivered ventilators, hospitals disagree
A month ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had promised ventilators, the life-saving equipment required for pumping breathable air into sick patients' lungs, to hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases in California. The bold effort, announced by Musk himself, drew widespread praise from the public. But, as it turns out, many of these hospitals have received something else, not the said, much-needed ventilators. Here's more.
Musk had to deliver 1,000 FDA-approved ventilators
Back in March, Musk had said that Tesla has procured 1,000 FDA-approved ventilators and would be distributing them across hospitals in California. The move was described as a 'heroic' effort by Gavin Newsom, the Governor of the state, but last week, his office said that none of the hospitals in the state have received the ventilators Tesla was supposed to deliver directly.
In response, Musk tweeted list of hospitals that got delivery
As the reports of non-delivery of ventilators surfaced, Musk took a shot at media outlets and shared a list of hospitals that got the delivery, noting that the donations were made "based on direct requests from their ICU wards, with exact specifications of each unit provided before shipment." He also shared screenshots of emails/posts from some hospital officials acknowledging the delivery of ventilators.
Then, Newsom responded to Musk's list
After Musk shared the list and asked Newsom to fix the "misunderstanding", the latter said he was "not personally aware of the list." "I'm very encouraged that he put out that list and those specific hospitals that's where he had been sending those resources and I look forward to learning more about where they went and am grateful for his support," the Governor added.
Meanwhile, hospitals tell a different story
When CNN, which first reported the case of non-delivery, reached out to some hospitals mentioned in Musk's list, four answered and claimed that the machines sent by Tesla are not full-blown ventilators. Instead, the outlet learned that the devices delivered were positive airway pressure (biPAP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which aid in breathing and treat sleep apnea.
Here's what hospitals said about Tesla's machines
"They're not full ventilators but there are lots of people that need breathing assistance," a spokesperson from Mammoth Hospital, one of the hospitals that Musk said got the delivery, said in a statement. Similarly, LA County DHS also confirmed they got 100 bilevel units, which "are used for breathing and airway support, reducing the need for certain patients to be placed on mechanical ventilation."
Tesla remains silent on the matter
Despite all the confusion and the remarks from Musk, Governor's office, and the hospitals, Tesla has not commented on the matter nor clarified where ventilators have been delivered, and where CPAP and biPAP devices have been sent.
