by Matt Mizell
Daily Lobo
Although representatives from three state agencies preparing response plans for a biological attack said a lot has improved since Sept. 11, they were stumped by hypothetical ethics situations posed by a UNM organization Thursday.
In a UNM public forum, representatives from the New Mexico Department of Health, the Department of Public Safety, the Office of the Attorney General and audience members discussed issues of public safety, preparedness and the purposes of planning for a biological attack.
Joan McIver Gibson, senior bioethicist for the UNM Institute for Ethics, moderated the discussion at the UNM Conference Center.
"There are so many different dimensions to a public health crisis that may be provoked by a bioterrorist attack," Gibson said. "The goal of the discussion is to be thoughtful of protection from an ethical standpoint."
Before Gibson opened the five-member panel discussion, she presented hypothetical questions for the audience to consider that would pose an ethical dilemma in the event of a biological disaster.
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One question asked what would happen if there was not enough vaccine or medical treatment available in a biological attack. Who would be treated first -- front-line health care workers, vulnerable populations, top governmental officials or those who can pay?
When the discussion began, panelists did not have an answer, but assured the audience there have been drastic changes since Sept. 11.
One such effort is proposing legislation that would redefine local government's role in a disaster situation.
According to section two of the proposed Public Health Emergency Response Act, its goals include providing the state with the ability to manage health threats, preparing for a public health emergency and providing access to appropriate care for infected, exposed and endangered people on a large scale.
Whether the new act is passed into law, Michael Richards director state emergency medical service director said other plans have already been made for the possibility of an emergency.
"New Mexico is a possible terrorist target with the Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs," Richards said. "However, we do have some of the best resources available here in the state with our Disaster Medical Assistance Team and our Urban Search and Rescue Team."
The state's disaster team, sponsored by UNM's Health Science Center School of Medicine, provided assistance in New York City following the terrorist attacks.
Richards said additional preparedness has come from the Centers for Disease Control, which helped provide hospitals in each state with grant money encouraging medical facilities to create model disaster plans.
Jill Trewhella, director of the Bioscience Division in the Los Alamos National Labs, is assigned to a team that creates science and technology specifically designed to address bio-terrorism.
"Although the medics dealt with the Anthrax problem with success, the bioterrorism attack showed effectiveness by producing fear and disruption in our nation," Trewhella said.
Trewhella said her team is reducing threats by focusing on detection, identification, attribution and proper response to an attack with biohazardous material.
"Hopefully we will never have to use the new act and ideas we're discussing," said John Wheeler, chief counsel of the New Mexico Department of Safety.
But, he added, the possibility of a biological attack is something the government and public should not ignore.
