At the end of the first stage of a federal pilot program to determine how major cities could deliver medicine to thousands of people within 48 hours of a terrorist attack, New York is grappling with several proposals to achieve that goal. One plan being considered by federal and city officials involves using postal workers to distribute medicines. Another would ask the city’s home-care health aides to volunteer to give out the needed drugs. Some city emergency planners have suggested using drive-through windows at restaurants and banks as points of distribution. Each idea has its drawbacks, emergency planners say. Beyond concerns about potential civil unrest and communication constraints, city health officials question the reliability of any delivery force, especially one that is made up of volunteers or people with no medical training. Health experts and emergency planners wonder whether some of the city’s emergency medical supplies could be used quickly enough since some of them are stored outside the state because of jurisdictional disputes among city agencies. Full Story
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