Over 11,000 veterans who received routine colonoscopies at three VA health centers are being warned to get blood tests for HIV, hepatitis, and other malignant viral infections in the wake of revelations that government-employed clinic staffers frequently neglected to sterilize the equipment between procedures.
1,800 patients at the Veterans Affairs health center in Augusta, as well as 3,260 in Miami and 6,400 in Murfreesboro (TN), may have been exposed to “potentially infectious fluids,” according to the VA. The fact that this is due to negligence on the part of the government-employed hospital staff is bad enough on its own, of course — but it gets worse, as some of those may have been infected with HIV or hepatitis as many as six years ago, and are just now being told to get tested.
Patients who underwent the procedure at the Murfreesboro facility as long ago as April 23, 2003 may be at risk, according to the VA, while Miami patients could have been contaminated as far back as May 2004. The Augusta exposures appear to have been limited to a period of “11 months last year.”
“What if you had to worry about giving your wife AIDS?” said Wayne Craig, a 52-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who lives in Elora and had a colonoscopy at the VA’s Alvin C. York Medical Center in Murfreesboro, near Nashville, about five years ago. “Why haven’t I been notified within five years?”
That’s a good question. Another good question is, with issues like this and like the infamous Building 18 at Walter Reed, why in the world are so many still conducting a full-court press for handing over responsibility and care for the rest of the American population to the same government bureaucrats who run places like these?
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wow–i am really beginning to think that va healthcare should consist of the va being essentially an insurance provider and letting the vets access the doctor of their choice and simply sending the va the bill…
This is absolutely intolerable. Someone needs to start a petition!
UGALiberal,
I don’t believe you actually care about the VA or ANYONE connected with actually ever serving time in the military.
drjay, Sen. McCain proposed that during the campaign — vouchers for veterans to attend non-gov’t-run clinics and hospitals for treatments and procedures. The idea was pilloried by the media and by President Obama.
UGALiberal: Maybe you should zip over to Augusta and get a colonoscopy.
Start a petition? UGALiberal needs to move away from home and live in the real world and contribute to society before trying to claim he/she’s holding an alka seltzer under his tongue while foaming at the mouth at something that he/she hasn’t the reading ability and comprehensive skills to understand.
Thank God we’ll soon have 100% government-run health care, so we can avoid these kinds of private-sector horrors!
Wait a minute…
Actually, to Bill and the Naysayers…
My Godfather uses that clinic, both that one and the one in Atlanta, so yes I do care. Two of my Uncle served in Vietnam, Both my grandfathers served in WW2. One had a bullet lodged in his back until the day he died. He was a proud community, church, and family leader to us. I have multiple cousins that are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, along with multiple friends I have met over the years.
And yes, I am serious, we should start a petition. I am convinced that with unified voices, the legislators listen to us. The Recent HB614 that everyone was so enraged about is a great example. It passed in the House with little (maybe seven) votes against it. Then, when we started posting, telling our friends to write their senators, etc etc, it was voted against in the Senate.
I was not trying to be glib or short with my “lets start a petition” comment. If the legislators know that people care, or that they know, then they will stop some of this “we can pull it over their heads” idea they seem to have.
So Bill, next time you think that I don’t care, just remember, I have family invested in their war effort just as much as any American.
And you can Sign the Petition on our blog and I will provide the link to the petition below:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UGALiberalVA/
Sorry, I actually meant this one:,The first one is a test:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UGALVA/
Their service is appreciated. It appears their nephew/niece should study a bit more grammar.
UGALiberal,
My apologies. It’s just that I’m not used to talking to a self-proclaimed Liberal who actually cares about the military and the veterans for other than political reasons.
UGALiberal, I too appreciate the service of your relatives and apologize. There of those of us who have had or have skin in the game, some in Afghanistan, some being treated at the VA in Augusta with in the time frame.
Just some food for thought. DC and the current administration is pushing for universal government controlled health-care. If it happens we will all be subjected to the same type of health-care horror stories similar to what we’re hearing about the VA.
“DC and the current administration is pushing for universal government controlled health-care. If it happens we will all be subjected to the same type of health-care horror stories similar to what we’re hearing about the VA.”
Medical Mistakes happen everywhere, not that it is any excuse for them happening here. I do not think this is a public/private sector issue. Its more of a “who can we blame it on” issue, you will either blame it on the government doctor or the individual doctor. Atleast when its the government doctor, we can demand more oversight.
And Liberals care about the vets. We may not always agree with the War, but once they are there or when they return, they are Americans and Honored Americans at that. They should be treated with the most respect and dignity of any American in this country. Supporting our vets is not a political issue, its a patriotic duty.
At least when it’s a government doctor we can demand more oversight? I’d rather enforce my own oversight and hire a good malpractice attorney and sue the hell out of them.
What’s next, government controlled lawyers?
That’s why they should pay for their own health care, and the treatment of their own combat wounds, right? Or do you disagree with the liberal president on that little issue?
“At least when its the government doctor, we can demand more oversight.”
Not true. Nine times out of ten, government is immune from liability. Private doctors have incentive to do it right the first time – they can be sued and lose their licenses. With gov’t. doctors, that’s not always the case.
Also, UGALibereal, having seen government housing, do you really want government healthcare?
One other question for UGALiberal since you support the troops.
Do you support the Administration’s proposal to cut military defense by 10% while having troops in the field in two shooting wars as more and more equipment is becoming worn out and unserviceable every day?
No I do not, though I would support private insurance being primary and then the government picking up the rest.
And yes I do support a cut in the military budget. We spend way to much on the military. We can decrease the military. If we need to get more money to the troops in active wars, we can start by bringing the 80k troops we have in Germany and Japan Home.
“though I would support private insurance to be primary.”
So our men and woman should rely on private insurance to pay for long periods of occupational therapy to learn to walk with only one remaining leg, speech therapy for traumatic head injuries to learn to speak again. Private insurance for multiple corrective surgeries from war wounds. You ever heard of pre-existing conditions in the private insurance business? But when we all get government doctors, it won’t matter.
I’m glad you shared with us. You’re right you don’t owe veterans a dam# thing but your ungrateful freedom. But that’s what they fight for, your right to your opinion which is traditional liberal horse hockey.
You may wish to consult with the Japanese and Germans to see how that move might threaten our own national security before you withdraw those troops though. After all, injured troops are evacuated to military hospitals in Germany from the battle fields in Iraq and Afghanistan. Korea is threatening to go nuclear plus test missiles capable of striking Hawaii and Alaska, we might need Japan and Germany as an ally. Russia and China is sword rattling, one flying nuclear capable bombers into our hemisphere, the other announcing just today, the capability of destroying aircraft carriers with one missile strike. It must be a nuclear missile. Cut the budget. No big deal.
How many political parties does it take to screw over the veterans?
Two:
One to send them into an unjust war, and one to keep them there.
Bowersville,
Ya know, your right. Why the hell don’t we just spread our military out everywhere. I mean, I am sure that no matter what area it is, there would be some justification for putting troops there. How many troops do we have in Israel, our “only ally in the middle east” who is constantly being threatened.
Is Germany really in danger of being taken over by anyone? I think not. The EU spends quite a bit on security, not the the fiscal irresponsible level we do, but enough to where they are a viable military power.
I have to agree with UGALiberal on the prospect of shrinking our overseas ‘commitments.’
I say we shut down those bases and treat the veterans. I’d rather see my tax dollars go to treat those who have served under the U.S. flag than to maintain overseas bases so that we may enlist under the banners of other nations while searching for ‘monsters to destroy’.
Then UGALiberal, start your petition to President Obama and get it accomplished.
Our President promised to bring our troops out of Iraq, what happened? Your liberal leaders in Congress, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi openly stated our military was defeated in Iraq, what happened?
Our troops won the war in Iraq, so why are you liberals still leaving them there? President Obama has them there on his authority as Commander in Chief. Petition the President, he promised to bring them home shortly after taking his oath of office.
As for spreading the troops all over the world, the President has the authority to bring them all home today. So, that policy isn’t up to the likes me or the soldiers in the field. It’s up to the President to break the NATO treaty and the other treaty obligations. I did sort of notice that he wimped out of renegotiating the NAFTA treaty when the Canadians balked, so don’t get your hopes up.
It’s up to the President of the United States and the Democratic controlled Congress. So get your petitions rolling and accomplish your mission.
“Private doctors have incentive to do it right the first time – they can be sued and lose their licenses. With gov’t. doctors, that’s not always the case.”
With private doctors, that’s not always the case either, thanks to Senate Bill 3, the 2005 tort “reform” law. If it’s not done right the first time in the emergency room, for example, you have to prove gross negligence to bring your suit, period. Forget the $350K cap on damages. This is complete legal immunity and it applies to all ER workers, from the surgeon to the bed pan man.
And outside of the ER, you’ve got the $350K cap to deal with. If you can’t claim significant economic damages, like a well-paying job, then you can forget about finding a good malpractice attorney and suing the hell out of anyone in the medical community.
“O Brave New World … with such people in it!”
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