Scope Alert

Afghanistan is Vietnam for Slow Learners
-Gwynne Dyer (via tw)
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Ranger Question of the Day:
Why would anyone serve in the military
if VA health care is so poor, and
health care becomes nationalized?
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Now this is hitting close to home, as Ranger has had both colon and esophageal endoscopies at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in both Lake City and Gainesville, FL within the last few years. Water under the bridge, but end of July he has another one scheduled at the Lake City DVA.

"House lawmakers blasted Veterans Affairs officials on Tuesday after hearing testimony that the agency still wasn't following procedures for handling endoscopes, months after discovering that the improperly cleaned instruments may have exposed veterans to hepatitis and HIV.

"I'm outraged that any of our nation's heroes were potentially infected or that they even have to worry about the possibility," said Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., who is chairman of the House's Veterans' Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations" (Testimony: VA medical Gear Still Being Mishandled).

As one of the purest examples of giving veterans the Royal Shaft, witness the Maimi VA Clinic, where "tube[s] that was supposed to be cleaned after each colonoscopy [were] instead cleaned at the end of each day, affecting patients between May 2004 and March 2009." A mere five years of shoving fecally-contaminated scopes up vets' asses. What's the big deal?

The VA Health Care System is often cited as an efficient, lean machine. The model for any limned-down National Health Service which may come to pass in this great nation. Before Congress tries to fix or create the nation's health care system, we should see that the one in place can meet even the basic level of the concept, "health care". Ranger has medical care options; many do not.

"Investigators with the inspector general's office at the VA testified Tuesday that fewer than half of the VA facilities using endoscopes had posted proper cleaning guidelines for the equipment as well as documents showing that the staff is trained in such procedures

"That finding was based on surprise inspections of 42 VA facilities in May

"The investigation came after the VA discovered in December 2008 and January of this year that endoscopes at VA facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Miami; and Augusta, Ga., were not maintained properly, possibly exposing veterans to the fluids of other patients."

The news release says the veterans who attended clinics may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV. Then again, maybe they have such thick endothelial linings that the body fluids of others never penetrated their systems.

Not being a Marine, the question is: Whatdya do now, Ranger?