Posted on 10/25/2014 8:41:19 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A new audit has found major gaps in the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) preparations for viral pandemics like Ebola: many of the supplies purchased by the government are expired.
Officials have spent millions to stockpile medical supplies since 2006 without knowing exactly what to buy or how they would be used, DHS Inspector General John Roth said Friday. The agency also failed to track the supplies it did purchase.
We could not determine the basis for DHSs decisions, Roth told a panel of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as he presented the 43-page report.
DHS, which is one of the agencies leading the response to Ebola, has no assurance that it has enough protective gear or antiviral medications or that its supplies remain effective, Roth said.
The department purchased 4,184 bottles of hand sanitizers that have expired, Roth found.
DHS spent $6.7 million for antiviral drugs, with no plan to decide what types of drugs it should purchase. It also has no way to know that the drugs were maintained at the proper temperature, which could have destroyed the drugs effectiveness.
The department has lost track of 2,055 doses of antiviral medication, the report said.
In light of the report, Roth told the panel, the department is beginning to reshape its strategy.
Certainly now, the department is starting to do the kinds of planning that we recommended, Roth said during the hearing.
The IG's testimony raises questions about the governments ability to handle the ongoing epidemic of Ebola in West Africa that has infected nearly 10,000 people. Four cases have been diagnosed in the United States, including one diagnosed late Thursday night in New York City.
"How can I tell the American people that we're prepared?" Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said of the IG's findings. "Almost all the equipment you cited in this report, in fact, is either out of date or the purchase made no sense."
Makes me feel all warm and comfy.
PING!
Government is usually part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Heads up.
But DHS knows climate change is an urgent threat!
That and raiding stores for gray market panties.
Remind me again why we need Homeland Security.
Their NFL counterfeit merchandise detection gear is AAA+, though.
1) Lay out the criteria for choosing drugs to buy.
2) Convene regular meetings to review possible purchases ("Which drugs meet our criteria?").
3) Document decisions to either purchase or not purchase.
4) Establish an inventory tracking system.
5) Perform periodic audits to either identify losses, or to recommend re-purchasing to replace expired items.
Standard activity. Very standard. Absolutely expected in any government effort.
And, No, the government almost never actually does any of that stuff. It's on the books -- they are mandated to basically follow those steps. And they just don't.
Not a loss. The US/Nazi government wouldn’t have let the peasants have access to protective gear. Maybe the useful idiots working for the US/Nazi government will wake up and realize that their masters won’t protect them when they go round up the infectious cases.
Scramble the blackhawks, sir, WE HAVE LOCK-ON..!
DHS has been so busy protecting Obola and Obolacare that it has overlooked much of what they are supposed to be doing in the first place.
Where is the Charter for the formation of DHS? What is their purpose? I could add more but you get the picture!
Everyone from the government to hospitals have been saying they were ready for the big ones, for decades, this time it better take, because if this had been a serious bio attack, by now we would be facing a national nightmare with our cities in chaos.
As this goes on we need to reinforce the political position of greater national preparedness in all areas and how this episode is revealing massive weakness on National Security threats, we need a Civil Defense/national preparedness revival.
The regulations on expired meds was explained in some thread awhile ago - it is a lot of paperwork and experimenting to verify that it will last 10 years, so they just put a couple of years on the package and be done with it. With only a few exceptions, all medicine is safe to take past the expiration date. Most of it is still 90% effective (100 mg of something might only be a 90mg effective dose).
And alcholol hand sanitizer expired? I doubt it.
Has anyone checked the expiration date on their Common Sense. I think someone should check that, because I swear it seems like that expired more than two decades ago.
Government is usually part of IS the problem, part of not the solution
I’m from the Government and I’m here to help...
YOU DIE...
Drunken sailors, couldn’t find their a$$es with both hands.
Guess I have all their N95’s and Nitrile gloves. ..
That’s positive Maverick!
The pattern is clear!
Hard target, lock...
I hit it!
11-4!
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