The photos on ebay and amazon of the Chinese factories making surgical masks (not N95) appear to be 99% automated. The machines in that article appear rather

The photos on ebay and amazon of the Chinese factories making surgical masks (not N95) appear to be 99% automated. The machines in that article appear rather different. But it's not just hospitals, all of US is built on "just in time" fulfillment for decades now. That's why a government stockpile was important for emergencies, it's not unrealistic to expect government to have that role. You just can't have people in charge of government that spend all their time dismantling it and expect it not to fail.