Bureaucracy Has Delayed Plans For Three FDA Offices In China, HHS Secretary Leavitt Says

But is Mr. Leavitt part of the Bureaucracy....when I read about articles like this where it states last week he ran in with a "typo ridden final rule" to the Office of the Federal Register to file a rule before Congress could pass a law, requiring a federal judge to intervene to put a stay on funds for Medicaid cuts...what gives....and sure we need to be in India, I agree,...but is this the pot calling the kettle black I ask and are his actions also part of the bureaucracy problem? BD

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday said that Chinese bureaucracy has delayed plans to establish FDA offices in three cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- that would monitor exports of food, medications, medical devices and other consumer products to the U.S., the Associated Press reports. Leavitt said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs must formally approve the plans, after which the agency will begin the process of approval of diplomatic visas for the 13 FDA employees who will staff the offices.
In addition to China, Leavitt said that he hopes to establish FDA offices in India. He said, "There are 90 to 100 FDA-inspected facilities there producing mostly drugs and medical devices," adding, "I expect that number to grow. The connection between the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and India is real and expanding. We just need to be there."