Pandemic chief sees big obstacles

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Pandemic chief sees big obstacles

Planners expect shortages, no federal aid

BY MARTIGA LOHN, Associated Press

Kris Eide was on the front line of the Red River flood that

traumatized the Grand Forks area in 1997, as she battled a deluge that

flooded thousands of homes and displaced more than 50,000 people.

Now she's in charge of preparing Minnesota for a catastrophe that

could be bigger: a flu pandemic.

Estimates suggest an aggressive strain could kill 30,000 people, force

even more to huddle in their homes and bring the state to a

standstill. The state's preparations for a pandemic began in 1999, but

the work never ends, Eide said.

" Pandemic is bigger than anyone can imagine, " said Eide, who is Gov.

Tim Pawlenty's chief adviser on disasters.

Eide said she and other state officials have spent hundreds of hours

on logistics: how to dispense huge quantities of medicine, close

schools smoothly, handle lab specimens and ensure proper communications.

Part of their job is making people realize that a pandemic would be

different than more common disasters like floods, tornadoes and

drought, for which a state looks to the federal government for help.

The state will have to help itself, she said.

" When a pandemic comes, there is no help, " said Dr. Hick, a

Minneapolis emergency-room physician involved in pandemic planning.

" You're stuck with what you have. "

Officials' assessment of Minnesota's readiness is grave.

In a severe pandemic, Minnesota would face shortages of health care

workers, ventilators, antiviral drugs, face masks, hospital beds and

other medical supplies. Family members would have to care for each

other. Doctors would have to make life-or-death decisions about which

patients get access to equipment, medicine and medical care.

Aggie Leitheiser, who directs emergency preparedness for the state's

Health Department, has worked to alert physicians of tough choices ahead.

" Who benefits the most? Who's the most likely to survive? " she said.

" How do we use whatever tools we have to expand that number? "

State officials are at least $5 million short of the estimated $8

million order they have placed with the federal government for the flu

drug Tamiflu. Lawmakers pared back Pawlenty's budget request this

year; Eide said to expect another request next year. In the meantime,

the state will buy what Tamiflu it can as soon as the federal

government releases it.

Emergency drills have exposed some vulnerabilities, too.

In May, health workers in 13 northwestern Minnesota counties tested

how swiftly they could distribute medicine. Their exercise involved

passing out candy to more than 1,000 people, with help from law

enforcement, hospitals and even a casino.

Carol Sele, an emergency-preparedness coordinator in the region, said

the effort was slowed by communication problems, including some

difficulty making computer networks talk to each other. Organizers

realized they should have had computer support workers on hand.

" We have all these wonderful technological pieces available to us, but

we find out that we are really pretty inept at trying to work this

stuff, " she said.

Next spring, a $500,000 public education campaign will try to prod

average Minnesotans to prepare their households for a pandemic or

other mass emergency.

State officials also have to change their mentality, Eide said. That's

what happened to her when she served as state incident manager for the

1997 flood. She started thinking of herself as a first responder, not

an administrator.

" We were working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, " she said. " It was

just an epiphany of (how) we're all in this together. "

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