US: Health workers call for resignation of Secretary Kennedy

Washington, Sep 3 (IANS) Over 1000 current and former employees of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have called for the resignation of Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr after removal of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Susan Monarez and other actions which they said are "compromising the health of the nation."

In a letter sent to Kennedy and members of Congress on Wednesday, a group of former and current employees urged US President and US Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science.

The letter stated, "Should he decline to resign, we call upon the President and US Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science. We expect those in leadership to act when the health of Americans is at stake," top US political website The Hill reported.

The letter builds on an effort that started in August when HHS employees requested Kennedy to make more efforts to protect health professionals after the shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta on August 8.

An additional 887 HHS staff have signed on the letter after its release on August 20, according to the organising group Save HHS. The group said Kennedy has not given a response to the letter while HHS issued a statement, accusing them of politicising the tragedy.

The new letter mentions about ouster of CDC director Susan Monarez and the subsequent resignations of four top agency leaders in response to her removal, The Hill reported. The HHS staff also criticised Kennedy for appointing "political ideologues who pose as scientific experts and manipulate data to fit predetermined conclusions" and for continuing to verbally target his own agency employees.

The letter stated, "We believe health policy should be based in strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics. But under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their politics."

The HHS employees stated that they signed the letter in their personal capacities and some opted to remain anonymous "out of well-founded fear of retaliation and threats to personal safety."

--IANS

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