[[ DHS couldn't manage a roll of tp. ]]
http://www.hstoday.us/single-article/dhs-mismanages-pandemic-preparedness-amid-ebola-crisis/6a355b97a54bd2e62d5d6c6391668af5.html DHS Mismanages Pandemic Preparedness Amid Ebola Crisis By: Amanda Vicinanzo, Senior Editor 10/28/2014 ( 7:39am) [image: Bookmark and Share] <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=xa-4a8ac57416db70f7> In the midst of rising fears over the spread of Ebola, a recent hearing revealed that Department of Homeland (DHS) has not effectively managed and overseen its inventory of pandemic preparedness supplies, including protective equipment and antiviral drugs, calling into question the ability of DHS personnel to effectively respond to a pandemic. With the importance of the continued operations of DHS during a pandemic, Congress appropriated $47 million in supplemental funding to DHS to train, plan and prepare for a potential pandemic. DHS used the funding to stockpile protective equipment and antiviral drugs for pandemic response. However, at a recent House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing <http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/ebola-crisis-coordination-multi-agency-response/>, DHS Inspector General John Roth referenced an August audit <http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Roth-DHS-OIG-Statement-10-24-Ebola.pdf> that concluded DHS did not adequately assess its needs before purchasing pandemic preparedness supplies, and then did not adequately manage the purchased supplies. As* Homeland Security Today* previously reported <http://www.hstoday.us/channels/fema/single-article-page/dhs-ill-prepared-for-pandemic-response-inspector-general-says/3a127dcc35d6b90aaacfe3b8cf7f4d94.html>, “DHS did not adequately conduct a needs assessment prior to purchasing pandemic preparedness supplies and then did not effectively manage its stockpile of pandemic personal protective equipment and antiviral medical countermeasures." When the Inspector General's report was initially released, *Homeland Security Today* also reported that it sparked sharp criticism from public health sector and other authorities <http://www.hstoday.us/briefings/daily-news-analysis/single-article/dhss-lax-internal-pandemic-preparedness-gets-stern-rebuke/c912a3713f15ab98d7cdc6872b576b90.html>. “Specifically,” the IG reported, DHS “did not have clear and documented methodologies to determine the types and quantities of personal protective equipment and antiviral medical countermeasures it purchased for workforce protection. Roth said that determining the adequacy of equipment stockpiles requires DHS to conduct a needs assessment. However, DHS reportedly spent $9.5 million on protective equipment since 2006, as well as $6.7 for antiviral drugs, without first determining the types and quantity of medication it should purchase or the amount of protective equipment it needed. Roth expressed concern that DHS may not be able to provide pandemic preparedness supplies to crucial personnel necessary to continue operations during a pandemic. Specifically, by failing to implement controls to monitor its stockpiles, DHS cannot be certain whether it has too little, too much or ineffective supplies. “DHS purchased these supplies without thinking through how they would need to be replaced,” said Roth. For example, the stockpile contains 4,982 bottles of hand sanitizer, 84 percent of which is expired. Moreover, the Transportation Security Administration’s stock of pandemic protective equipment includes about 200,000 respirators that are beyond the 5-year usability guaranteed by the manufacturer. The glut in supplies means millions of dollars wasted on unnecessary drugs and equipment that need to be replaced in order to be continuously prepared. "We spent millions of dollars for a pandemic ... We don't know the inventory, we don't know who's got it, and we don't know who's gonna get it," Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said during the hearing. Roth responded: "You are correct." Roth’s remarks during the hearing coincide with looming fears over US preparedness to meet the threat of Ebola on American soil. Just this month, Thomas Eric Duncan—the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the US—died. After Duncan’s death, DHS announced plans to implement new layers of entry screening at five US airports that receive over 94 percent of travelers from the Ebola-affected. However, last week Dr. Craig Spencer, New York City’s first Ebola diagnosis, passed through enhanced screening at JFK airport without incident after returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa. "The healthcare worker had returned through JFK Airport on October 17 and participated in the enhanced screening for all returning travelers from these countries' affected by the virus,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. “What you have in place has failed,” Mica said. “The New York doctor self-reported. We need to learn from this example.” The number of cases in the Ebola outbreak has exceeded 10,000, with 4,922 deaths recorded as of October 23, according to the World Health Organization <http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/137185/1/roadmapupdate25Oct14_eng.pdf?ua=1>. Amid rising concerns over the spread of Ebola, Roth’s remarks on the August audit which found DHS is internally unprepared to respond to a pandemic raise concerns that America is not prepared to face the threat of Ebola. "This is a scathing report," said Rep. Mica. "Page after page. The inventory is outdated. We spent millions of dollars, and we're not prepared." __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZ3JkdmsxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0MTQ1Mjc3MjA-> [image: Yahoo! Groups] <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlaDVrdjEyBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQxNDUyNzcyMA--> • Privacy <https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> • Unsubscribe <[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use <https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> __,_._,___ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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