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December 3, 2008 2:23:19 AM CST

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Hospitals Can't Handle Terror Attack: Study

Posted May 6, 08 9:02 AM CDT in Science & Health,  Crime & Courts,  US 

(Newser) – Hospitals in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major US cities don't have the emergency room capacity to handle even a moderate terrorist attack, a congressional committee says. A survey last month of 34 hospitals revealed they could not handle a sudden surge of trauma victims, a situation described in the report as "truly alarming," reports USA Today.

 "If a terrorist attack had occurred when we did our survey, the consequences would have been catastrophic," said Rep. Henry Waxman. "The emergency care systems were stretched to the breaking point and had no capacity to respond to a surge of victims."

Source USA Today

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The trauma of 9/11. A Congressional inquiry says hospitals in major US cities could not handle even casualties from even a modest terrorist attack.   (Getty Images)
The trauma of 9/11. A Congressional inquiry says hospitals in major US cities could not handle even casualties from even a modest terrorist attack.   (Getty Images)
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman. He says hospitals' lack of preparedness for a terror attack "truly alarming."   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
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terrorism • Los Angeles • Chicago • New York • Washington DC • Denver • Minneapolis • Houston • terror attacks • House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform • emergency room • emergency responders


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