Medical technology trade association Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) is urging the White House to delay the sale and privatization of the Federal Helium reserve until supply chain problems are mitigated.
"Helium is critical to the function and operation of key medical technologies patients rely on for their care," the association said in a statement, noting that it is used to cool MRI magnets and that American patients undergo more than 40 million of these scans per year.
“Only a few countries worldwide produce helium … [and] U.S. manufacturers tend to rely on the Federal Helium Reserve to meet the needs of the MRI machines installed throughout the country," AdvaMed said. "There’s a real risk that these companies, and global companies that purchase our helium, will be forced to seek sources elsewhere. That’s particularly challenging, given the war with Ukraine and crisis in the Middle East, which has spilled over to the Red Sea, a major trade route … AdvaMed urges the White House to delay the sale and privatization of the Federal Helium Reserve until outstanding issues identified by the Compressed Gas Association are resolved."
