Swanger: Federal Ebola Response Inadequate; State Must Do More

HARRISBURG – Rep. RoseMarie Swanger (R-Lebanon) today called upon the Pennsylvania Department of Health to take the lead in protecting residents of the Commonwealth from the deadly Ebola virus, expressing frustration and disappointment with the federal response to the global Ebola pandemic. 

“The federal response to the outbreak of Ebola has bordered on complete incompetence,” said Swanger.  “Citizens are very concerned and have every right to be.  Why, for example, hasn’t a travel ban been enacted for individuals arriving from Ebola-ravaged countries?  The lack of such a ban makes no sense.”

While the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) held a news conference last Friday on state readiness in the event Ebola arrives in the Commonwealth, Swanger said she would like to see the department take on a larger role of educating the public. She believes state authorities take the threat of this illness more seriously than their federal counterparts. 

“The President wants to appoint a politician who isn’t a doctor and who has no medical expertise as an ‘Ebola czar,’ an undefined position that carries no authority,” she added.  “This is no way to respond to the outbreak of a life-threatening disease.”

The DOH has established an Ebola information page on its website at www.health.pa.state.us.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Health needs to take the lead in disseminating public information about Ebola and ways to avoid contracting it,” said Swanger.  “This is a life-and-death issue, and the inadequate and incoherent federal response calls for our state officials to assume greater responsibility for the health of the Commonwealth’s citizens.”

For more information, please visit www.RepSwanger.com.