With the global outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, countries and major cities around the world shut down to contain the public health crisis. Chicago is one of the many cities around the world where healthcare professionals are fighting to combat the rising number of new patients showing symptoms of the
virus. Medical supplies, such as PPE materials and N95 face masks have been in short supply due to the increasingly high demand. According to sources, the Illinois government refused doing business with a black-owned company despite the desperate need for the materials.Dr. Willie Wilson is the founder of Omar Medical Supplies and his company
has distributed medical supplies like plastic gloves and the like, with distribution facilities around the country since the late 90s. Each week, the company brings in millions of KN95 masks. Omar Medical consultant and CEO of Boyce Enterprise, Vetress Boyce, are accusing the government of Illinois of not doing business with their company because of race despite the roughly 25,000 COVID-19 cases within the state facing a severe shortage of medical materials.Boyce contends that Dr. Wilson has repeatedly called the mayor and the governor but cannot receive a callback. For Boyce, the final straw was when Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent $1.7 million in taxpayer money on two flights from China to bring back PPE.
Omar Medical Supplies will still be donating 100,000 masks to Cook County Jail, which is in desperate need of the supplies according to Boyce. The company has also donated to local hospitals in need. Boyce and Wilson have yet to hear back from the governor’s office on the matter.