By Doug Miller

The H1N1 swine flu pandemic amounts to a national emergency, according to President Barack Obama, who issued a formal declaration that frees medical providers from time-consuming federal regulations if the virus threatens to put local healthcare facilities under medical siege. It’s the second swine flu-related declaration to be issued by the federal government since April.

Though maintaining that the move amounted to a precautionary measure, the wording of the proclamation made it clear the administration thought it necessary, “given that the rapid increase in illness across the nation may overburden healthcare resources, and that the temporary waiver of certain standard federal requirements may be warranted to enable U.S. healthcare facilities to implement emergency care.”

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a recent news briefing that H1N1 has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Americans so far, including about 100 children. Currently, 46 states are reporting widespread swine flu activity.

With his declaration, Obama essentially granted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the freedom to lift targeted federal regulations, including Medicaid, Medicare and privacy rules, to allow swamped hospitals and other medical providers to quickly set up off-site facilities to increase the number of available beds.

In an additional extraordinary step, the administration also gave the Food and Drug Administration permission to use an investigational anti-viral drug called peramivir to treat critically ill H1N1 patients.

In April, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also declared a swine flu-related public health emergency, releasing supplies of Tamiflu® and Relenza® from the national stockpile.

Doug Miller is a writer living in Westchester County, New York.