Low Hanging Fruit

Still Not Ready in The ER | WP | 8.5.05

One of the fundamental responsibilities of government is to coolly and dispassionately assess health threats against the populace and take decisive action to counter these threats.…

Across the United States, underfunded emergency rooms and trauma centers lack sufficient beds to meet their daily mission, much less absorb large numbers of victims from a terrorist attack. Few ambulance personnel know how to assess a blast scene or properly evaluate multiple casualties from a bombing.…

It is ironic that our government’s single-minded focus on “bioterrorism” has left us less well prepared to handle either an emerging biological threat (such as SARS or avian influenza) or a terrorist strike (which will most likely involve the use of explosives). Unless we quickly rethink our priorities and broadly allocate resources to meet the most plausible threats to the U.S. population, our only option will be a “faith-based initiative.”

Pray that nothing happens.

Excellent editorial of the state of unpreparedness. As with much of federal expeditures, what is the lowest hanging or the tip most easily seen gets the funding. Funding the ability to surge the spectrum of healthcare resources is where the true battle is and where the hope of any true victory lies. Our first response, may be our last response.