Not satisfied with the federal response, several states are taking the Ebola crisis into their own hands – tapping emergency funds in their budgets, launching treatment units and holding public hearings to stanch the spread of misinformation about the virus.
The lines of responsibility for what the federal government and what the states should be doing have blurred in recent days, amid questions over guidance initially provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the states touched by the outbreak scare are scrambling to shore up their medical lines of defense.
On Monday, a legislative-spending panel in Ohio approved $800,000 for the state’s health department to better equip area hospitals if an outbreak occurs. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry also announced two new state-of-the-art Ebola treatment and infectious disease containment facilities.
Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott, too, is stepping up the response while demanding additional federal aid to help his state fight public health issues like Ebola.
New Jersey and Georgia are stepping up efforts by monitoring residents and visitors who have recently traveled to their states from West African nations.
Responding to emails and calls from nervous residents, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced a 13-person task force to help calm complaints over the state’s preparedness.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has assured the public that health workers are being properly trained, with officials saying all state hospitals are prepared and eight specific facilities are now designated for handling Ebola. Such designations are made independent of the CDC.
Lawmakers in Massachusetts are holding a public hearing Thursday to review the state’s response plans if Ebola surfaces there.
The Indiana State Health Department, working in tandem with local officials, has been given the green light from their governor to beef up medical measures so the state is prepared to treat patients and contain the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola.
Similar plans also are in place in California and Oregon.
Thus ten states have essentially decided the federal government's response is too effed up to trust or follow blindly anymore, and they're taking care of business themselves.
This is the first sign of anything approaching adult supervision and intelligent leadership since this problem first arrived on our shores.
Hopefully it's some sign of things to come.
6 comments:
In NY, assurances that people are properly trained and that all state hospitals can care for Ebola patients are not reality based.
I'm sure every airline is looking forward to this:
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_26779428/frontier-airlines-ebola-plane-remains-out-service-denver
Here in NE Ohio,Akron Children's hospital,where one of our grandchildren just spent a few days due to a nasty bug of some sort,people entering the hospital are questioned outside the building,before they even enter.
Prior to that policy,they were questioning people inside the building-so it looks like they are getting their shit together finally.
Similar policies are in place at all area hospitals.
Trying to find out if nurses have been given training yet,I have a relative and a friend who are both nurses,one in Akron and the other in Cleveland-Summa health in Akron operates most of the hospitals-Cleveland Clinic operates most of the Cleveland area hospitals,except Metro Health-which takes care of the poor folks. Metro is the only level I trauma hospital for Cleveland,and is the most likely to see any Ebola cases.Cleveland has a community of people from W. Africa,mainly Nigerians.
All people from W. Africa need to be banned from entering the U.S. Sooner rather than later-it's like a ticking time bomb.
Well, lot's of federal money is earmarked to deal with Ebola. Ron Klain, a political fixer, is in charge of how that money gets spent and distributed, in the middle of a heated election.
After Nov. 4, Obama will ask Congress for more money to combat Ebola; claiming what he had was not enough. Ron Klain will then be promoted to Chief of Staff, or something else, depending on the outcome in the election.
In unrelated news, sales of Cadillacs to black ministers will increase after Nov. 4.
President Obola will indeed ask for more money, because martial law, and domestic quarantine, and setting up FEMA camps ain't gonna be cheap. Then there is the added cost of subsidizing the newly released "non violent offenders" from prisons (read: "undocumented foreign workers") and issuing their new credentials, which among other benefits will allow them to vote... "I've got a phone, and I've got a pen..." - and the rest of us have problems we won't vote our way out of...
It's on, my friends. If you have not armed yourself and your family, by the end of the year you may be unable to. We live in interesting times...
In addition to the other items mentioned, Ohio has had a high security public health lab certified to perform the tests for Ebola. Cutting the time for a result and cutting the CDC out of the process entirely except as a CC: on the results notification e-mail
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