Also stated in the MDHHS release is that, and I paraphrase, essentially the MDHHS cannot shed any more light on the situation because they are blocked from investigating Legionnaires in the Flint area by a Protective Order. The MDHHS was only made aware of the 7th Legionnaires case because of MDSS.
In the September 7 press release the MDHHS also stated, "MDHHS has no knowledge of any efforts by Mclaren Hospital to appropriately assess, remediate and clear locations of patients with Legionnaires disease." There seems to be in my opinion a troubling lack transparency regarding Legionnaires in Flint because of this Protective Order. I have no idea what this Protective Order means or how it works, but I will do my best to find out.
According to the facts there have been 80 cases of Legionnaires disease in the Flint area between 2014 and 2015. This is an alarmingly high number. More troubling is the fact that since 2014 there have been 12 confirmed deaths in the Flint area from the disease.
Of course, the extremely high numbers of Legionnaires in the Flint area correlate precisely with the beginning of the Flint Water Crisis, which is a deeply troubling fact. Yet, essentially nothing has been done by the State or the Federal government for that matter, and for what it's worth, it's nothing short of appalling .
Jeff Brown
PWP.
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| Downtown Flint 2016. Photo Purple Walrus Press. |
I am afraid you have been duped by Governor Snyder. This represents a struggle between Snyder versus Attorney General Schuette and McLaren Hospital. MDHHS was not informed about the new case of Legionnaires disease because the AG filed an injunction against them for their criminal, repeat, criminal behavior with the previous cases of Legionnaires. There are three injunction so that MDHHS does not interfere in the ongoing investigation against them. I have to agree with the AG, especially when Snyder, supposedly a pro-business politician, used that press release to denigrate McLaren and to try and damage their business. But Snyder loves to pass the blame.
ReplyDeleteI don't know all the details, and it is more complicated than this but who do you believe? Our Governor or McLaren? (McLaren's lawyer's has made statements but I didn't quickly find them.) Do you believe Snyder or Schuette? They are both Republicans but Scuette's political future depends on these Flint Water prosecutions having real results, or at least the perception thereof.