VA criticised at hearing in St Louis
The Veterans Association has received harsh criticism following the sterilisation blunder, which could have put thousands of veterans at risk of infectious diseases.
The House Committee on Veterans Affairs hosted a special hearing at the Courthouse to discuss the incident at the John Cochran Medical Center. Officials, congressman and veterans criticised the sterilisation and infection control procedures at the centre and condemned the blunder, which could potentially have devastating effects for some veteran patients.
Terri Odom, a Navy and Army veteran, struggled to hold back her emotions as she told the hearing that she felt violated by the very people who were supposed to offer support, protection and treatment, which would prevent her from becoming ill.
During the last two weeks in June, staff at the centre and officials taking charge of the case sent out letters to more than 1,800 veterans who had been treated at the John Cochran Medical Center; those who received treatment between February 2009 and March 2010 were involved in the incident and have been invited to attend blood tests.
Despite officials from the Veterans Association saying the risk of infection is incredibly low, the blunder has sparked an outcry from veterans and congressman. Veterans hailed the incident as “totally unacceptable” and the chairman of the House Committee, Bob Filner said it was a “tragic situation.”
During the hearing, the John Cochran Medical Center was described as being “filthy, with large holes in the wall and mold growing in the showers” and the Veterans Association was also condemned for its handling of the situation, with many people criticising the letter sent out to veterans for being “cold” and “callous” and others criticising the new telephone help line, saying that the people who responded to the call were rude with little knowledge or appreciation of the situation.
Join this Discussion