The U Department of Health and Huma...

The U Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G Thompson newly announced the funding of an additional $14 billion to help strengthen the capacity of states, territories, and three metropolitan areas to answer to terrorism and other public health emergencies by the agency of upgrading the public health hypothesis and hospitals/health care entities that rejoin to such events. Funds will be used to enhance the readiness of hospitals and the health care body to deal with large numbers of casualties, to upgrade infectious disease surveillance and investigation, and to expand public health laboratory and communications capacities. The HHS' Center for Disease command and Prevention (CDC) is providing $870 million for strengthening public health preparedness for outbreaks of infectious diseases, public health emergencies, and bioterrorism by the agency of improving surveillance and epidemiology, biologic and chemical laboratory capacity, health information dissemination, communications technology, education and training, and smallpox preparedness. The HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration is providing $498 million for states to unfold surge capacity to deal with mass casualty circumstances through the expansion of hospital beds; unravelling of isolation capacity; identification of additional health care personnel; and provision of mental health services, trauma and injure by fire [i]or[/i] heat care, and personal protective equipment. HH is spending $35 billion this year for bioterrorism preparedness.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

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