Hundreds of federal healthcare workers in the United States found out on Tuesday morning that they were being laid off. Many were not even allowed to enter the office, as the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began implementing a massive reorganisation plan, the BBC reports.
Reductions in key departments
The layoffs affected senior officials and specialists working in the areas of food safety, medicines and epidemic control.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the department’s staff would be reduced from 80,000 to 60,000 employees. The US government decided to reduce the number of employees in such institutions:
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – minus 3,500 positions.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – 2,400 people laid off.
- National Institute of Health (NIH) – minus 1,200 employees.
Employees are informed of dismissal at the office
Preston Burt, a communications specialist at the CDC, was one of the first to receive a notice of dismissal. At three in the morning, he received a letter of termination. Many of his colleagues found out about the layoffs only after they were unable to get into the buildings with their security passes.
“If there is a nuclear disaster, who will be called upon as experts?” Bert was indignant.
Resignation of Fauci’s successor
Jean Marrazzo, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who replaced Anthony Fauci, was also among those dismissed. She and several other top officials were offered transfers to other departments, including the Indian Health Service.
Is America ready for new pandemics?
These reductions come amid a new threat – the outbreak of measles in the United States, the largest in 10 years. In addition, the number of cases of bird flu infection among livestock and humans is growing in the country. At the same time, the Biden administration assures that these measures are necessary to improve performance.
Only time will tell whether the renewed healthcare system will be able to withstand future challenges.
