The health department of the United States will reduce its workforce by around 10,000 full-time employees as part of a broader cost-cutting of the federal government, reports news agency AFP, according to an official statement. According to the report, the total downsizing will shrink the department from 82,000 to 62,000 employees including early retirements and so-called “deferred resignations”.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said that the new priority is in reversing the the chronic disease epidemic.
“We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
“We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic.”
According to India Today, the HHS intends to roll its divisions from 28 into 15. One of the key new additions will be the Administration for a Healthy America, designed to fight America’s chronic health problems. Regional offices will decrease from 10 to 5 in order to save $1.8 billion per year.
According to the report, the layoffs will impact various departments within HHS including 3500 jobs at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the roles related to the drug, medical devices, and food safety will remain intact.
The restructuring will also result in the establishment of the Administration for a Healthy America, which will be responsible for areas such as primary care, maternal and child health, and mental health, among others.
