More than 3,000 who had colonoscopies at VA hospital told to get HIV tests
MIAMI - Officials say more than 3,000 patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Miami had colonoscopies with equipment that wasn’t properly sterilized. They’ve been told they should be tested for HIV and other diseases.
The VA insists the risk of infection is minimal and only involved tubing on equipment, not any device that actually touched a patient. But it’s the second recent announcement of errors during colonoscopies at VA facilities.
Last month, more than 6,000 patients at a clinic in Tennessee were told they may have been exposed to infectious body fluids during colonoscopies.
The VA also said 1,800 veterans treated at an ear, nose and throat clinic in Augusta, Ga., were alerted they could have been exposed to an infection due to improper disinfection of an instrument.
SOURCE:
Unsterile equipment used on Miami veterans
This is nothing less than a travesty. Our veterans have given this nation everything they have, their health, their sanity, their arms, legs, eyes, they have given us everything they have to give, they answered the call. This is how WE take care of THEM?
We had documented cases of veteran neglect during the Bush administration, and we were led to believe that those problems were being fully addressed and dealt with. I have been hammering on this for a long time now, this was one of the stories I posted, Gov’t Struggles to Cope With Wounded GIs. The government has a responsibility to COPE with these warriors, these guys have earned the very best of care and nothing less, but what do they get? VA links poor care to 19 deaths at Ill. hospital.
About a year ago I went off on this tale of woe:
Maybe it wasn’t a deliberate attempt, maybe it’s all been just a terrible coincidence, maybe some of the deplorable conditions at some VA hospitals, conditions that have been documented, maybe that was just administrative oversight, the VA has their mission definition, and the utmost care of our Vets is their #1 priority, right?? VA lying about number of veteran suicides
Some folks think the V.A. has kept things secret, and I have to wonder, just what exactly are they not telling, and why, all of a sudden, is this unsterile equipment and threats of exposure to infected bodily fluids something our veterans have to suddenly worry about?
Recently this was proposed: Obama to Bill Combat Wounded for Medical Care. Now if that is not the pinnacle of audacity, I don’t know what is. Supposedly Obama got the message and this moonbat idea was filed away, for presentation at a later date no doubt!
I know that this nation is in a really bad place when it comes to money and having any to spend, the Wall Street guys, the car companies and not to forget, AIG, must ALL be saved, but the health and well-being of our veterans can’t be one of the items on the chopping block used to render up a few extra dollars to bail out crooked or inept businessmen. In many instances, our veterans, these fantastic men and women that have given this nation SO much, have nowhere else to turn other than the V.A., they need to know that the V.A. will be there FOR them, to HELP them, not to KILL them!
Dear Lord. Insanity! There is NO excuse for our heroes to be treated in such an incompetent manner. They deserve the BEST of care. Not this….this….OUTRAGE!
This is absolutely DISGUSTING. As always, Fred, your words speak for many of us.
it just makes your guts churn. Could anybody blame them for telling the people that sent them into harms way, that from now on, if needed again, they can just kiss their asses.
They have 50 million to give to the arts but can’t take care of the people that make it possible that they still have the arts. My heart goes out to them.
Twenty-one years…The United States Air Force Veterinary Services…
Yeah! I’m a veteran and damn proud of it! But you just have to know this…
I spent a great number of years with the Military Working Dog program (formerly called Sentry Dogs)…just call me the doggie medic. And you guessed it! The dogs were treated much better than what has been described here!
I believe what happened here is somebody didn’t do their job. Whoever has the responsibility to ensure this medical equipment is properly cleaned and sterilized should be punished. I’m not talking fired, I’m talking prosecuted and possible jail time. The rules, procedures, and equipment are in place but it takes individuals to follow them.
WhoBeen, at Whiteman AFB, they’re building a 4 million kennel for the Military Working Dogs. Did you ever think they would spend that much on a kennel?
http://www.kspr.com/news/local/19403334.html
It just aint right! Our warriors deserve the absolute best medical treatment. My elected representatives will be getting some hot emails from me.
Fred, I weep for our brothers and sisters in arms. My bro in Holiday, Texas uses the veterans facilities at Shepard AFB in Wichita, Falls. Listening to him talk it seems the service is somewhat OK. At least he seems to feel so. Personally, I think our country pushes the poorest doctors into the veterans care facilities. That hurts. Right now the number of veterans in Congress is fewer and fewer every year. The draft-dodging, America haters of the 60′s and 70′s are now holding the purse strings.
God Bless our veteran brethren.
Damn! I don’t have the words. Anything that comes out of my mouth is just vile and not worth repeating.
There is absolutely no excuse for this. NONE!
The more I think about this, the more angry I get (and I was pretty angry to begin with). Those assholes in DC can spend BILLIONS on the most useless crap…. insist on health care for ILLEGAL INVADERS, the murder of babies in third world countries, cow farts even, yet this is what they consider acceptable for those who keep their sorry asses safe, on a daily basis? Incomprehensible!
With them finally building a new hospital in Denver I thought that perhaps things were improving. Guess I was incorrect again. I can’t really add anything to what has already been said.
Here’s the yardstick for judging the current administration: think of something proper, honest, righteous, correct or lawful, then do the opposite.
That’s the Obama Administration. And the way he treats our veterans.
Sooner or later, he forgets he’s going to want our soldiers in order to enable his social engineering programs, both on foreign AND domestic soil.
And there won’t be many to do it. Or willingly.
BZ
Tragically enough, this is nothing new.
The VA has always lacked accountability.
In a response to a posting Fred did awhile back, I mentioned how my father, a Marine veteran, spent years trying to get care from the VA.
When they finally did admit him, them kept him ther for a few months, then released him and sent him home.
He died the next day.
This is exactly the type of healthcare that Obama is planning for America. We all should be up in arms about this.
I posted this on mine today (and linked to you, of course..lol) It seems that this specific issue is not unique to this one facility. I have a comment on mine to that effect. Go read that, Fred..
Pingback: VA says 10 colonoscopy patients have hepatitis
Pingback: VA patient tests positive for HIV after mistakes