NATIONWIDE – Across the United States, hospitals are without IV fluids after a shortage due to the prolonged devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria.

It has been nine weeks since Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, but the impact continues to grow. The island is one of the major manufactures of medical supplies to the U.S.

The IV bags contain sodium chloride, which is a type of saline. The saline bags are used to inject drugs into patients.

The Food and Drug Administration said it is working on addressing the shortage. Currently, it is trying to import IV saline from facilities out of the country.

The major issue is due to a lack of power to medical manufactures in Puerto Rico. Most of the facilities are running on generator power, which faces continuous interruptions.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., said: “The FDA remains committed to fully supporting Puerto Rico’s medical products industry, both as a key aspect of the island’s recovery and in ensuring that Americans continue to have access to the products they need.”