Issues Under Fire: Severe Cracks in U.S. Public Health System Exposed
Many should be counting their lucky stars to hear the WHO reporting a widespread outbreak is unlikely in the United States. Considering how poorly managed and ill prepared the United States has proven to be in handling a single Ebola case, one can only imagine the overwhelming complications a hundred cases would pose. Clearly, if this was a test, the United States Public Health System would be failing miserably.
If anything should scare the hell out of Americans this Halloween season, its knowing that if the United States found itself battling a major bioterrorism attack of any kind, this country could not quickly, efficiently and cost effectively secure the nation's points of entry, protect civilians from said bio-terror threat, nor provide treatments, vaccines or care safely and securely to those infected. Any confidence in the U.S.' ability to isolate and contain the threat would be misplaced at this time.
If a so-called reputable facility like Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital could collapsed under the test of readiness and competence, what does that say for smaller, less equipped and poorly trained medical clinics one might find one's self depending upon. Since hospital spokespersons remain mum to a barrage of allegations of sloppy Ebola protocols leveled by Dallas nurses, the scary thought remains; serious ills are plaguing the U.S.' health emergency response system. Worse yet, the cure for what's plaguing the system has yet to be identified.
If one bothers to consider the cost of transporting, quarantining and caring for just one Ebola case, imagine what the cost would be for a thousand cases. The expense of bio-hazard-proofing and fueling up a jet to safely fly just one contagious Ebola case to a bio-hazard-proofed facility is hardly sustainable if the number of infections begins to rise. With the U.S. sending thousands of troops to West Africa to battle the outbreak, its going to be interesting to see how it handles the logistical nightmare the military will face should the virus make its way among the ranks.
Bottom line: Doctors Without Borders have reported treating more than two thousands cases of Ebola in West Africa, before the first two of their healthcare workers had been infected. When one compares that record to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital treating only one case of Ebola with two healthcare workers being infected, without even doing the math, its painfully obvious the America people have a lot to worry about. Podcast Below
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