Cutbacks in States' Public Health Staffs Leave Nation Open for Influenza Pandemic

May 24, 2009 (LPAC)—Public health officials from Missouri, Ohio, and New York, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials' Executive Director Paul Jarris, told a Congressional hearing May 20, that staff cuts are so deep, that the nation does not have the public health workforce and logistics to deal with a flu pandemic. In 2008, 12,000 U.S. public health workers were laid off; and in 2009, another 12,000 are being let go by financially strapped states and localities. Dr. Jarris also gave these and other figures at an April 28 Senate hearing on the "Swine Flu Outlook Response," where he said, "we don't even have what we had two years ago [in terms of workforce]...We're at a critical resource and workforce point."

On May 20, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Chairman of the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, held a hearing on "State and Local Pandemic Preparedness"; testimony included the following:

* NEW YORK: "The tank is empty at this point," said New York Deputy Health Commissioner Guthrie Birkhead. "We need to refuel."

* OHIO: "The unknown is coming this Fall," said Cuyahoga County Health Commissioner Terry Allan, referring to the second wave of influenza, who explained, "we know what to do, we just don't have the horses to do it over an extended period of time." Resources have been too stretched.

* MISSOURI: Kansas City Health Director Rex Archer said that the anti-bioterrorism money has dried up, and funding and staff have been cut in the regions accordingly.

Towns himself noted that in 2008, over 85% of local health departments reduced their staffing. In 2009, 46% are expected lay off more workers.

If Towns initiates funding to reverse this take-down of public health, he will be going against the crazed Summers/Orszag health care reform gang in the White House, which wants to cut "excessive" health infrastructure, and implement a Hitler Health Plan to save money by ending lives.

In February, the Senate struck out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, all funding for states and localities to retain public health workers, laboratories, and other facilities, now being drastically cut. Then came the pandemic threat to mock their stupidity.

New York health official Birkhead told the May 20 Towns hearing that his public health staff worked 18-hour days for three weeks during the H1N1 outbreak, because of new budget cuts. But, Birkhead warned, they can't maintain that regimen for a true 6-month pandemic period this Fall or thereafter. "Due to the current fiscal crisis, county [preparedness] funding was reduced by almost 40%" in New York. "Ironically, this occurred on April 1, just before H1N1 hit. Many local departments had to lay off preparedness staff at that point."

Dr. Jarris spelled out on April 28 the minimum emergency funding that is needed nationwide, saying, "We need to have the workforce ready in the Fall." He repeated his appeal to the Towns hearing. Jarris recommends a minimum fund of $1.025 billion—$350 million for state and local jobs, $122 million for anti-virals, and $563 million for protection of hospitals and personnel for hazardous duties. This in itself would take up the puny $1.5 billion called for April 27 by President Obama, as a commitment to fight the new influenza. Compared to the trillions going to financial bailouts, it's a sneeze in the wind.