Baxter International’s largest manufacturing plant is back up to regular production levels nearly five months after it was damaged by Hurricane Helene — an event that sparked worries about the supply of IV fluids used in hospitals and led to the cancellation of some surgeries.
The Deerfield-based company was forced to temporarily shutter its North Cove plant, in Marion, North Carolina, in late September after Hurricane Helene breached a levee, leading to flooding at the plant.
The plant is the largest manufacturer of intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions in the U.S. Intravenous solutions are used in hospitals and other care settings to deliver medication, keep patients hydrated and/or address electrolyte imbalances.
After the plant was temporarily closed, several large Chicago-area hospital systems said they were taking measures to conserve IV fluids, such as by using alternative treatments. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wrote a letter at the time to the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services saying some hospitals had canceled elective surgeries.
As it repaired the plant, Baxter limited how much IV fluids customers could receive, and asked health care professionals to limit the number of new patients who could receive peritoneal dialysis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed products from other Baxter plants around the world to be imported into the U.S.
Baxter announced Monday that the plant had returned to pre-hurricane production levels.
“This is a critical milestone in our recovery as we continue to work to replenish inventory and support our customers’ and patients’ needs,” Baxter said in an update, though it noted that it is still necessary to limit how much product customers receive.
“While we continue to increase allocation levels across key impacted product groups, allocations remain necessary, and we will continue to provide related updates for our customers directly,” Baxter said.
