US PostMaster DeJoy testifies before House Oversight committee as USPS struggles to deliver medication in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Roseland couple has struggled to get medication by mail recently.

Patricia Moore reached out to the head of Cook County Health when her blood pressure medications didn't arrive by mail.

"I never had a problem getting my medication. And I talked to my postal worker the next day. And she said, 'well, they have medication there, but there was nobody to pass it out,'" Moore said.

RELATED: USPS struggles to keep up mail deliveries in Chicago amid pandemic

On Monday, Cook County doctors and local officials spoke out about the need for dependable US mail Service after Cook County reported a quarter of the medication they sent by mail were delayed in July.

"We are worried our patients being able to get their medications on time without disruptions," said Dr. Claudia Fegan.

"As the USPS delays mount more and more patients at Cook County Health are seeing longer wait times to receive critical medications," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Sen. Dick Durbin said the issue was, "literally a matter of life and death."

US PostMaster Louis DeJoy testified Monday in DC before the US House Oversight committee hearing about efforts to improve medication deliveries.

"We're concerned about the impact that each individual across the country, and we're working extremely hard to bring the service levels back to where they were and exceed that and we will be there shortly," DeJoy said.

Some congressmen questioned why the hearing was held after a weekend vote.

The House passed a bill over the weekend to give $25 billion dollars to the Postal Service, but the bill does not appear to have enough support in the Senate, or the White House.