Missouri lawmaker with COVID-19 shares urge to help the hospitals

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo- Repesentative Joe Runions has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but as he battles the virus, he is urging lawmakers to make sure doctors and hospitals are being taken care of properly.

In a statement Rep. Runions wrote, "Although I remain hospitalized, I am getting better, but it will be a long recovery. The most important thing to me right now is for the doctors, nurses and hospitals in our state to get all of the support and supplies they need as they work to treat this illness."

Runions even wrote a letter to Governor Mike Parson urging the governor to make sure hospitals don't run out of vital medical supplies.

"Since I am in isolation, every time a doctor or nurse comes in to check on me, they must put on all manner of gear to protect themselves. However, stocks of that equipment are rapidly running low, and doctors are deeply concerned about whether those stocks will be replenished fast enough to keep up with demand," he said in the letter.

Later in the letter Rep. Runion says medical staff have used 20 sets of supplies just on him everyday.

The picture in the article of Rep. Runion was taken the morning of Thursday, March 19th. He is no longer on the ventilator and is now breathing normally but remains at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kansas City.