The Ebola diagnosis of an
American doctor in New York City raises new doubts about the Obama administration’s preparedness in coping with and preventing the spread of the deadly disease, said California GOP Rep. Darrell Issa.
The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee lashed out at what he said were serious flaws in the way officials have managed the protocols so far. Dr. Craig Spencer’s case, he said, raises "even more questions about procedures in treating patients and risks to Americans," the Associated Press reported.
"I think we all know that the system is not yet refined to where we could say it’s working properly," Issa said during a congressional hearing on Friday.
"It would be a major mistake to underestimate what Ebola could do to populations around the world, and any further fumbles, bumbles or missteps, or relying on postulates, certainties, told to us by people who in fact cannot defend how that certainty came to be, and, when it fails to be correct, how they could have been so wrong, can no longer be tolerated."
Issa was referring to early guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that had been in place when the first patient in the U.S., Thomas Duncan, was diagnosed and two nurses were subsequently infected,
The Huffington Post reported.
"I look forward to hearing from this panel of witnesses in an effort not to solve a problem, but to take the problem appropriately seriously, and recognize what we don’t know could kill us," he said.
Issa also slammed the president’s selection of Ron Klain, a Democrat insider, as the
"Ebola Czar” responsible for coordinating the administration’s strategy.
"President Obama’s appointment of Ron Klain sadly, in my opinion, shows the administration has on one hand recognized the missteps and on the other hand is not prepared to put a known leader in charge or, in fact, a medical professional in charge," Issa said,
according to CNN.
Issa’s criticisms came as Republicans insisted President Barack Obama’s refusal to
ban incoming flights from West Africa was the cause of the new case arriving in New York.
Maryland Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings, however, said the swift response to the case in New York showed that officials had improved their response since Duncan was misdiagnosed in Texas.
"It appears that healthcare authorities have come a long way in preparing for Ebola since Thomas Duncan first walked into a Texas hospital last month," he said, according to AP.
"There are many questions about this new case but we cannot assume it will be the last."
A range of administration officials testified at the hearing.
John Roth, inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the agency had made mistakes in the way it prepared for the pandemic, in some cases failing to make adequate provision for antiviral drugs,
CNBC reported.
Dr. Nicole Lurie, assistant HHS secretary for preparedness and response, emphasized, however, that there was not a risk of a widespread outbreak in the United States.
"Ebola is a dangerous disease, but there is hardly a reason for panic," Lurie said, according to AP. "There is an epidemic of fear, but not of Ebola, in the United States."