“GAO FAULTS HHS FOR INADEQUATE EMERGENCY WORKFORCE PLANNING — A new report by the top watchdog agency says the Department [of Health and Human Services (HHS)] failed to ensure that the federal government’s reserve workforce of medical emergency responders is prepared for large-scale disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic or the 2017 hurricane season.
[The Government Accountability Office] GAO also criticized HHS for failing to take into account the needs of at-risk individuals such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions in its strategic planning.
In a response attached to the report, HHS concurred with GAO’s recommendations but took issue with the report’s references to Covid-19, arguing that the pandemic is beyond the primary scope of the National Disaster Medical System and that any assessment of the ongoing federal response is premature.”
Stay Informed on the Latest Research & Analysis from ANCOR