New York state spent hundreds of millions of dollars on medical equipment when the COVID-19 pandemic began but it now "sits unused in storage facilities across the state," an audit released this week by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli revealed.

The unused equipment, including "ventilators and x-ray machines," have been "missing recommended maintenance and costing taxpayers storage expenses," said a news release from DiNapoli's office.

“During the pandemic, New York state quickly purchased medical equipment to address the public health crisis,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Now, hundreds of thousands of unused devices sit idle. I urge the Department of Health to develop and execute a strategic plan for the maintenance and use of these and future medical equipment purchases, so New York is well prepared for the next public health emergency.” 

DiNapoli and his auditors concluded that the state paid $452.8 million to buy 247,343 items of durable medical equipment 
(DME) and "received 51 items donated by others or from the federal government, for a total of 247,394 items procured during the onset of COVID-19."

However, only 324 items were "distributed during the public health emergency, and only three items from the 247,343 DME purchased during COVID-19," said the news release about the audit.