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Federal
funds to aid health systems WASHINGTON — The government began handing out more than $1 billion to states and cities Thursday to help prepare doctors, hospitals and health officials for a bioterrorist attack or other medical disaster. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said it was “the largest one-time investment in our nation’s public health system ever.” The money is meant to help medical and emergency workers learn more about recognizing the signs of a bioterrorist attack or other disease outbreak and how to respond. D.A. Henderson, the agency’s director of public health preparedness, urged local governments to put the money to use quickly because of the danger of an act of bioterrorism. “We don’t sleep well at night because we are afraid we will have another event — hope we don’t — but there’s just too much out there that’s threatening,” Henderson said at a news conference with Thompson. The money can pay to improve labs, train doctors, upgrade computers, prepare hospitals to treat a huge influx of sick or injured, and other planning. The state allotments range from $6.5 million for Wyoming, with the smallest population, to $69.7 million for California, the most populous. Plus, Los Angeles County will be eligible for an additional $27.9 million. |
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