From the Times Newsweekly:Spurred by fears that the H1N1 (swine) flu pandemic could hit Queens hard in the weeks and months to come, the Queens Borough Board and Cabinet recommended this week that the city reopen three closed hospitals in the event of a widespread outbreak to help treat the sick.
The Queens Borough Board— comprised of the chairpersons of all 14 community boards—adopted at its Sept. 21 meeting a joint resolution from the Health and Human Services committees of Community Boards 4 and 5 calling for the reactivation of St. John’s, Mary Immaculate and Parkway hospitals should the borough’s nine other medical centers become swamped with flu patients.
Members of the Queens Borough Cabinet—which includes the district managers of each board—approved the recommendation during their meeting at Queens Borough Hall the following day, Tuesday, Sept. 22, according to Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano.
Under the terms of the committees’ resolution, the city was asked to formulate a short-term plan to reactivate St. John’s, Mary Immaculate and Parkway hospitals in the event the influenza epidemic reaches “crisis” proportions.
6 comments:
And, of course, the Mayor will act on this.
Of course, all of the other diseases and medical conditions do not warrant reactiviating closed hospitals? What a crock!!!
Gov Patterson should have allocated money earlier in the year to save all 3 of this hospitals - he had the money to do so. Remember he gave each and every child in the state who were poor $200 for back to school supplies which they already get in school.
So the lives of Queens folks now will rest in reopening facilities that have been stripped of all medical equipment? Seems highly bizarre to be in this position that we otherwise should never had occurred.
Gee...why did Bloomberg allow them to close in the first place?
It's been suggested that the swine flu was a bio-weapon lab strain that got out into the public.
What's most frightening is that bio-weapons might become the weapons of choice among terrorists.
You don't have to murder vast numbers of people with explosives...just introduce something to make a lot of people sick.
Sick patients flood overcrowded hospitals which ultimately disrupts the economy.
So...your "honor"...do we really need to spend taxpayers' money the Atlantic Yards and Willets Point boondoggles instead of health and security?
Bah!
Right. After they just auctioned everything off from those two hospitals. The Board can recommend everything they want, but it's not happening- unless of course the Board is going to provide the necessary capital to re-open these institutions. Who would the Board find to run these hospitals? No smart business person is going to supply money and / or their time on such a risky venture.
The future of healthcare lies not in re-opening broken hospitals, but concentrating on urgent-care centers, outpatient facilities and the primary and preventative care of the community. This also takes time to research and again, necessary capital.
Alan is also correct- other medical conditions that effect the communities of St. John's and Mary Immaculate don't warrant the same care and concern as the swine-flu hysteria?
How about education for the community about flu-like illnesses and preventative care in general? Then they wouldn't go to the hospital ER's every time they or their family member has a cold and a fever.
God help the Borough of Queens.
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