Support Strong Whistleblower Protections for Doctors and Scientists

Ask Congress to go all the way with a proposed law giving whistleblower protections to PHS employees.

Courtesy: aocwatcher.wordpress.com

(WASHINGTON DC) - Congress has taken an important first step to pass whistleblower protections for Public Health Service (PHS) employees.

However, the Senate has proposed to cover these doctors and scientists under the military whistleblower law. This law lacks independent hearing procedures and judicial review. Instead, it gives the Secretary of Defense the power to make final decisions in whistleblower cases.

The military whistleblower law has been slammed as fundamentally flawed by the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Defense’s Inspector General. The law is not even suitable for uniformed soldiers engaged in combat, let alone doctors and scientists at the FDA and Department of Health & Human Services.

PHS employees play a critical role in protecting public health and safety. Their work includes ensuring the safety of medical devices, drugs, food, and vaccines. They work side by side with FDA employees, and they should have the same protections.

Until now, PHS employees have had no whistleblower protections. Congress is working to fix this problem, and it should go all the way with a strong, modern law.

Source: National Whistleblowers Center

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