Hawaii is better prepared for a bioterrorism attack than most other states, said state Health Director Bruce Anderson yesterday. State prepared
for bioterrorismThe health director says we are
ahead of most other statesBy Genevieve Suzuki
gsuzuki@starbulletin.com"I think we've made a tremendous amount of progress since September 11th," he said at a news conference in which he was joined by other state officials and members of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii to give an update of the state's bioterrorism preparedness plan.
A new $231,931 federal grant brings the Department of Health's funding to fight bioterrorism to about $9 million, according to Anderson. The money is going toward the department's goals, which include:
>> Coordinating with Civil Defense, the Red Cross, the counties, hospitals and emergency personnel.
>> Expanding the state's laboratory to better detect bioterror hazards and respond to an emergency situation.
>> Developing ways to quickly and effectively identify bioterrorism.
Hawaii is better prepared than other states for bioterrorism because it began applying for preparedness grants in 1999, well before the terrorist attacks and subsequent anthrax scares, Anderson said.
"We've learned a lot since September 11th on what is needed by way of bioterrorism response," Anderson said. "Our experience with anthrax and the other situations since then have certainly identified a lot of gaps in the system, but we've been able to fill those gaps."
Anderson also noted that Gov. Ben Cayetano recently signed a law that allows hospitals to be reimbursed by the department for costs incurred during a significant public health emergency such as an outbreak of influenza. The Health Department director has the power to declare health emergencies depending on the different situations and their potential harm to the population.
The law, drafted by the Health Department and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, also provides people who are quarantined in an emergency the opportunity to go to court to appeal their confinement.
"They can still quarantine people, but today we realize people have appeal rights. What if you quarantine 50,000 people hastily? People need a way to say, 'I don't think this is right,'" said Toby Clairmont, project manager for the association.
State of Hawaii
