The New York Times this morning reported that president Obama is really angry about the response to the Ebola outbreak in the USA. All I can say is "Mr. President, join the club."
Every American ought to be angry at the way the government mishandled the Ebola event. This outbreak was no surprise; any observer of the growing problem in West Africa would understand that eventually some infected person would make his or her way into the USA. We will never know for certain if the first patient who came from Liberia realized that he might have the disease when he arrived here, but it really does not matter. The USA ought to have been ready to deal with that first case once it occurred, and clearly we were not.
Right now, there are two nurses who have been infected because they were not given proper protective gear and full instruction as to how to use that gear. How could that be? How could the CDC not have instructed the hospitals ahead of time on the proper way to handle Ebola patients? How could the CDC have left local hospitals to treat Ebola victims rather than sending them to the places that are ready to deal with this disease? How can the CDC fail to tell staff at the hospital that they ought not use airplanes, cruise ships and other public transportation means after a potential exposure? And how can we get non-stop double talk from the CDC, the president, and the entire government on the topic of Ebola?
If Obama is angry, it should be at himself for failing to lead. Again, this outbreak was not a surprise. Any leader paying attention to the world ought to have asked for plans to be developed and put into action so as to be ready should the disease hit. Why didn't the president do that? Why didn't the Secretary of Health and Human Services do that? Why didn't the CDC do that? How could the failure, the inability to look ahead be so widespread through the administration? Is there really no one in charge?
So if Obama is angry, it is certainly not surprising. He should be very angry at himself.
Every American ought to be angry at the way the government mishandled the Ebola event. This outbreak was no surprise; any observer of the growing problem in West Africa would understand that eventually some infected person would make his or her way into the USA. We will never know for certain if the first patient who came from Liberia realized that he might have the disease when he arrived here, but it really does not matter. The USA ought to have been ready to deal with that first case once it occurred, and clearly we were not.
Right now, there are two nurses who have been infected because they were not given proper protective gear and full instruction as to how to use that gear. How could that be? How could the CDC not have instructed the hospitals ahead of time on the proper way to handle Ebola patients? How could the CDC have left local hospitals to treat Ebola victims rather than sending them to the places that are ready to deal with this disease? How can the CDC fail to tell staff at the hospital that they ought not use airplanes, cruise ships and other public transportation means after a potential exposure? And how can we get non-stop double talk from the CDC, the president, and the entire government on the topic of Ebola?
If Obama is angry, it should be at himself for failing to lead. Again, this outbreak was not a surprise. Any leader paying attention to the world ought to have asked for plans to be developed and put into action so as to be ready should the disease hit. Why didn't the president do that? Why didn't the Secretary of Health and Human Services do that? Why didn't the CDC do that? How could the failure, the inability to look ahead be so widespread through the administration? Is there really no one in charge?
So if Obama is angry, it is certainly not surprising. He should be very angry at himself.
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