Combating Terrorism: Accountability Over Medical Supplies Needs Further Improvement
Abstract
The United States has established a national policy for combating chemical and biological terrorism and managing the consequences of terrorist attacks. In the event of a domestic chemical or biological terrorist incident, local and state governments would be the first to respond in assisting civilian victims. If the consequences of such an incident overwhelmed state and local capabilities, federal assistance could be given to support their efforts. Critical to that assistance are the chemical and biological medical supplies maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Forces (CBIRF). This testimony will summarize the results of the General Accounting Office's (GAO's) recent follow-up review and highlight additional actions needed to further improve control over the federal medical stockpiles that can be used to treat civilian and military victims in the event of a chemical of biological terrorist attack. OEP, CDC, VA, and CBIRF have made significant progress toward implementing GAO's October 1999 recommendations. As a result, corrective actions have reduced inventory discrepancy rates and improved accountability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA395240
Entities
People
- Linda M. Calbom
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office