According to health experts today, the United States is still under-prepared for a major disaster such as a biological attack or a pandemic and the current economic crisis could make things worse. No real shocking news there, huh?
According to recent reports, Federal funding for state and local preparedness has been cut more than 25 percent compared to 2005 budgets, while at the same time state and local officials are being asked to do more.
What this is going to result in, I am afraid, is that we are going to see a Pre-September 11 preparedness level again very soon. While our present educational tours are booking well, funds are noticeably low to host these events and fewer human resources seem to available for promoting such events.
With another report out today about the inability of hospitals to respond as needed should a pandemic or bio-terrorism situation arise, one can see how this news only compounds the problem as lay-offs continue and budget cuts are experienced in agencies around the country including our hospitals and health care systems.
The report found that hospitals still lack so-called surge capacity — the ability to quickly expand space and staff to deal with an influx of ill or injured patients.
Many reports have found that most are already operating above capacity, with emergency room patients often waiting for hours in hallways to be seen on an average day.
The report I read found that 11 states and Washington, D.C., cut their public health budgets in the past year.
It said 16 states have bought less than half their share of antiviral drugs under a federal subsidy plan aimed at building stockpiles of the drugs in case of an influenza pandemic.
The food-safety system is antiquated and has not been upgraded in more than 100 years, the report found. The result has been a series of emergencies with little response until after the fact — such as an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning this year that sickened at least 1,400 people in the United States before it was traced to peppers from Mexico.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials said the report fit in with its own survey of local health departments.
Nationally, according to the report, 27 percent of local health departments are working under a current budget that is less than the previous year and 44 percent expect to do the same next year.
Among the nation's largest local health departments, 84 percent experienced workforce reductions in 2008 and 45 expect layoffs during 2009.
With the first case of influenza now on record for this season…are you ready?
According to recent reports, Federal funding for state and local preparedness has been cut more than 25 percent compared to 2005 budgets, while at the same time state and local officials are being asked to do more.
What this is going to result in, I am afraid, is that we are going to see a Pre-September 11 preparedness level again very soon. While our present educational tours are booking well, funds are noticeably low to host these events and fewer human resources seem to available for promoting such events.
With another report out today about the inability of hospitals to respond as needed should a pandemic or bio-terrorism situation arise, one can see how this news only compounds the problem as lay-offs continue and budget cuts are experienced in agencies around the country including our hospitals and health care systems.
The report found that hospitals still lack so-called surge capacity — the ability to quickly expand space and staff to deal with an influx of ill or injured patients.
Many reports have found that most are already operating above capacity, with emergency room patients often waiting for hours in hallways to be seen on an average day.
The report I read found that 11 states and Washington, D.C., cut their public health budgets in the past year.
It said 16 states have bought less than half their share of antiviral drugs under a federal subsidy plan aimed at building stockpiles of the drugs in case of an influenza pandemic.
The food-safety system is antiquated and has not been upgraded in more than 100 years, the report found. The result has been a series of emergencies with little response until after the fact — such as an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning this year that sickened at least 1,400 people in the United States before it was traced to peppers from Mexico.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials said the report fit in with its own survey of local health departments.
Nationally, according to the report, 27 percent of local health departments are working under a current budget that is less than the previous year and 44 percent expect to do the same next year.
Among the nation's largest local health departments, 84 percent experienced workforce reductions in 2008 and 45 expect layoffs during 2009.
With the first case of influenza now on record for this season…are you ready?
