Whistleblower says US health workers assisted coronavirus evacuees without protective gear, training

A whistleblower at HHS filed a complaint Feb. 26 alleging the agency sent more than a dozen workers to receive the first Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, without protective gear or training for coronavirus infection control, according to The Washington Post.

Advertisement

The whistleblower, who is seeking federal protection, is a senior HHS official who oversees workers at the Administration for Children and Families. Her complaint, filed with the Office of the Special Counsel, alleges she was improperly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of the workers to officials at HHS.

“We are hopeful that Congress and the OSC will investigate this case in a timely and comprehensive manner,” Ari Wilkenfeld, a lawyer for the whistleblower, told CNN. “This matter concerns HHS’s response to the coronavirus, and its failure to protect its employees and potentially the public. The retaliatory efforts to intimidate and silence our client must be opposed.”

After the complaint was filed, the House Ways and Means Committee sent letters to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the comptroller’s office and HHS’ deputy inspector general seeking more information.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
North Carolina AG demands answers from HCA after influx of complaints
California physician sentenced to prison over $700K in fraudulent billings
Michigan ACO executive sentenced to prison for stealing Medicare bonus

Advertisement

Next Up in Legal & Regulatory Issues

Advertisement

Comments are closed.