Dr. Betsy McCauhey is currently the CEO of Defend Your Healthcare. She is a health care expert and the former Lt. Governor of New York.
McCaughey was invited to join a CDC Conference call on Wednesday in regards to Ebola preparation. Her reaction should raise concern for many Americans who are currently in denial about the problems we now face. Most hospitals are not prepared to deal with Ebola. There are only four level-4 biocontainment hospitals in the United States with a total of 19 beds.
This level of biocontainment is not something that can be accomplished quickly or without serious investment. If it could then we would not be so woefully unprepared at this point.
Bryan Preston of PJ Media reports:
Dr. Betsy McCaughey appeared on Fox just after she had attend a CDC conference call with hospitals this afternoon.
Host Stuart Varney asked her what it would take to set up 50 hospitals to be ready for Ebola.
McCaughey’s answer is stunning.
According to her, after the CDC outlined its preparation strategy, one hospital administrator responded, “What you’re telling us would bankrupt my hospital!” She said that that administrator represents a Southern California hospital.
McCaughey noted that there was no word on the call of who would pay for hospitals to get themselves ready for Ebola patients.
And then she added: “Treating one Ebola patient requires, full time, 20 medical staff. Mostly ICU (intensive care unit) people. So that would wipe out an ICU in an average-sized hospital.”
A Dallas hospital was recently forced to close its Emergency Room because of one Ebola patient. McCaughey’s claims should not be taken lightly, nor should the claims of the administrator.
It seems that any CDC advice should be accompanied by a fat check at this point, however that’s probably not possible since Republican lawmakers allegedly created this crisis and the CDC is reportedly underfunded.
I look for a huge congressional “Ebola emergency package” to be forthcoming. By all means, let us keep funding those who obviously lack the common sense to do their jobs.
America is in a catch-22 situation. A second nurse has now been confirmed infected after treating Thomas Duncan.
Texas Health Presbyterian was obviously not ready for Ebola.
So something has to be done.
But can it be done without bankrupting hospitals or crippling the economy?
And, even if it can, could the changes be made quickly enough to make any real difference at this point?
Ebola is here.
Real solutions must be found and they must be found quickly. But with a total lack of leadership in America, we must not assume that changes will be effective or timely.
Think about protecting your own family, because our government has given us no indication that any real solutions are forthcoming.
