Federal health officials have made little if any progress in disaster preparedness since 9/11 and state health departments are not faring much better, says a watchdog group that has given mostly low grades to public health agencies nationwide.
Pandemic flu, a natural disaster or an act of bioterrorism would strain health agencies' capacity to respond, and thus amplify the effects of a mass emergency, especially if one were to strike now, said experts from Trust for America's Health, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in Washington.
The group produced an unflattering critique of the nation's disaster readiness and a long list of low grades in its report: "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters and Bioterrorism." The report serves as a wake-up call to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and state health departments. It is the group's third such report.
"I think the report is even more critical this year in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," said former three-time U.S. Sen. Lowell Weicker, who is president of Trust for America's board. "The response to the hurricane was a sharp indictment of the nation's emergency response capabilities. "Overall, the federal government received a D+ grade," for all post-9/11 disaster preparedness, Weicker said.
Let's not get caught with our pants down...again.
From Newsday.
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