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| Pandemic flu preparation bill stalled on Beacon Hill |
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Author: Priscilla Yeon Publication: State House News Service |
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AUG. 9, 2006 - As the global death toll from avian influenza rises and governments worldwide ready themselves as best they can, legislators here in Massachusetts failed to pass a bill in this two-year legislative session that would better prepare the state during a pandemic flu crisis. Deemed urgent legislation by state public health officials and lawmakers, the pandemic flu bill has been sitting before the House Ways and Means since June. It never emerged for floor consideration during the final two frantic weeks of legislating in late July that were dominated by spending veto override votes and local land use bills. “Obviously it’s a critical piece of legislation that has been pending for some time. It’s our hope that the Legislature will take it up informally and pass it,” said Donna Rheaume, spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health. Gov. Mitt Romney filed the bill in February after announcing it at a pandemic flu summit in Boston. Calls to House Ways and Means were not returned this week. The $36.5 million bill calls for 5,000 beds and 2,000 ventilators, as well as other hospital equipment that public health officials say is needed to support pandemic preparation and response in the Commonwealth. The plan also includes funds for an emergency 30-day supply of food and medications for state-operated institutions. Uxbridge Democrat Sen. Richard Moore, co-chair of the Health Care Financing Committee, said he is disappointed the measure has not been voted on yet and said he hopes House Ways and Means reports it out soon. The bill could still advance in the coming months as long as no one objects to its approval during informal legislative sessions. “I’d like to see them still move it out,” said Moore. “From a purely political standpoint and public health standpoint, it is important to move the bill through and I would still hope the House takes some action on it before the traditional flu season starts.” Moore’s committee redrafted the original $36.5 million bill offered by Gov. Mitt Romney in February, which Moore called “inadequate.” The new bill also expends $36.5 million, but redirects $1.5 million toward the re-establishment of the Office of Local Health Services in the Department of Public Health (DPH). It also tightens the language covering legal protection for emergency first responders, among other changes. Asked if Massachusetts is prepared for a pandemic flu crisis, Moore, an emergency response official under President Clinton, said: “Maybe we are somewhere more prepared than we were five years ago, but certainly we are very ill-prepared.” As projections indicate 40 percent of health care workers would be ill in a pandemic, Moore said the shortage of nurses, physicians and local board of health staff needs to be addressed. “Under the best circumstances, that will be a serious problem,” said Moore. Richard Gulla, spokesperson of Massachusetts Medical Society, said the organization supported the governor’s bill and has not taken a position on the redrafted proposal. Susan Webb, director of public health and education of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said the Society continues to support efforts for an emergency preparedness bill. The World Health Organization has reported 138 deaths and 236 cases of human infection related to the H5N1 virus. The latest case killed a 17-year-old girl in Indonesia on Aug. 9 after she reportedly contracted the disease from pet pigeons kept in her home. The first half of the year featured a steady drumbeat of news about the need for more serious preparations. During the summit in February, Romney, accompanied by US Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, unveiled his $36.5 million proposal. Leavitt stated: “Any community that fails to prepare, and does so with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong.” In May, state officials said at a hearing that as many as 20,000 state residents could die in a pandemic, with as many as 30 percent, or up to 2 million residents, getting sick during a pandemic. Public Health Commissioner Paul Cote said “we’re due” for another flu pandemic, based on historical patterns. After the hearing, Rep. Patricia Walrath, (D-Stow), co-chair of the Health Care Financing Committee, said “this is not something we can put on the backburner. We have to deal with it in a timely manner.” Walrath was out of the country this week and could not be reached for comment. At a Boston conference in June, Julie Louise Gerberding, director of the Center for Disease Control, described preparedness efforts as “a marathon, not a sprint.” She added: "The local planning is really the front line, and I can't say it enough.” Later in the month, a survey of local health departments indicated they are understaffed and struggling to protect residents and businesses from normal health threats, and ill-prepared for larger emergencies, such as a pandemic. |