DOGE attempted to fire critical Maryland ICU doctors

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are raising serious concerns about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They claim DOGE is endangering patients’ lives by attempting to fire doctors in the intensive care unit at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The New York Times reported that the planned cuts included crucial medical staff from the “code blue team.” This team responds to patients in cardiac arrest. A senior physician warned that these staff reductions would have forced the clinic to airlift patients to other facilities for care. Before the layoffs could occur, over a thousand protesters demonstrated against the cuts. Their actions led DOGE to reverse its decision on firing these medical workers. Additionally, NIH has reinstated some recently-dismissed laboratory technicians and blood bank workers. However, not all NIH staff have benefited from this reversal. Some senior scientists, who typically had automatic contract renewals, are facing leave without pay. This could disrupt vital research work. One scientist mentioned that funding cuts prevent him from ordering essential lab supplies, risking multiple years of research. The situation at the NIH reflects larger issues within the federal workforce. Since DOGE was established under Elon Musk, over 62,000 federal employees have lost their jobs. Although some layoffs have been paused due to court orders, staff at NIH describe the impact as chaotic and much worse than what is reported in the news.