-Caveat Lector- >From USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/ncstue08.htm - 11/30/99- Updated 11:27 PM ET U.S. unprepared for biological attacks WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's medical stockpiles for dealing with chemical or biological terrorism are poorly managed, often lacking vital drugs and adequate security, congressional auditors said Tuesday. The General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress, criticized the Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs, as well as a special Marine Corps unit, for failing to manage their supplies for treating civilian victims of a chemical or biological terrorist attack. ''The poor management controls and lack of required items in their stockpiles lead us to conclude that they cannot provide reasonable assurance that the required medical supplies will be available if needed,'' the GAO said. The report said the agencies failed to keep good records, conduct regular inventories, maintain their own policies or ensure security. Some of the problems uncovered stem from the complicated relationships between the agencies. Under a national contingency plan for responding to chemical and biological terrorism, HHS's Office of Emergency Preparedness is to coordinate medical assistance. In 1997 they created four national response teams with stockpiles of antidotes, antibiotics and medical supplies. However, Veterans Affairs is responsible for the daily management of the stockpiles, which are spread across the country. The investigators concluded that the HHS emergency office failed to oversee and advise Veterans Affairs, leading to poor management and organization. At one Veterans Affairs location, the entire supply of amyl nitrate, an inhaled drug used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning, had expired eight months before the GAO inspection, the report said. Amyl nitrate, which is also used as a recreational stimulant, was found in other VA locations in unsecured storage - in one case the drug was stored in a staff refrigerator alongside employee lunches. HHS Inspector General June Gibbs Brown, in a letter to the GAO, said her agency has begun working to correct the management and interagency problems. ''We are confident that appropriate management control of our chemical and biological stockpile will be rapidly achieved,'' Brown wrote. The HHS emergency office's inventory of supplies varied by more than 12% from the actual physical stockpile, the investigators said. While most of the discrepancies came from having more supplies than thought, the GAO found important shortages, including missing drugs for treating convulsions and breathing problems. In 1996, the Marine Corps created the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, the only Defense Department unit responsible for treating civilian victims of a chemical or biological terrorist attack. By comparing the Corps' inventory records with its actual supplies, the GAO found that more than a quarter of their stockpile contained record-keeping errors or discrepancies in the amount in stock. The federal stockpiles would respond if state and local authorities were overwhelmed by biological or chemical attacks. In September, emergency management and medical officials told a House subcommittee that local public health systems remain ill-prepared for such emergencies. -- Dan S DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
