More Than 10,000 Vets Warned To Get Blood Tests

[halos2]

OK we are all aware of the dirty instrument contamination with the colonscopies at Murfreesboro, Tn, and in Miami but now the endoscopic equipment in question was also used at an ear, nose, and throat facility in Augusta, Ga. All three sites failed to properly sterilize the equipment between treatments. The VA has said it does not know if veterans who were treated with the same kind of equipment at its other 150 hospitals may have been exposed to the same mistake.

The Veterans Affairs Department is investigating whether there is a link between a VA patients positive HIV test and the unsterilized equipment that might have exposed thousands of veterans to infectious diseases.( This HIV has been referenced 2 days ago) Do you know how many vets really could have had their health compromised?? No excuse here, there are some sick bas*ards out there who are too lazy to make sure the equiptment is clean and STERILIZED. How about we let them have the contaminated equipment used on them,or how would they feel if it were used on their family! Never happen! When it comes to the vets, we are treated as second class citizens. I get further and more appauled at this disgrace when it come to vets treatments.

Dr Oz said more patients die of medical errors/hospital errors/contamination infections than diseases each year. Pitiful. Just pitiful.

[Maurice]

Hello Veteran friend,Should veterans that had colonscopies at other VAMC in US should reqest blood tests?

[MikeR]

My dad had a colonoscopy in Gainsville, and I had told him that he should have it done somewhere else. Now, he is hesitating on getting testing.

[halos2]

I would. This is more wide spread then they are acknowledging. There is defnitely problems related to the sterilization of the equipment, plus the extended use of some of the equipment for other tests too. Better to be on the safe side!!

Hello Veteran friend,Should veterans that had colonscopies at other VAMC in US should reqest blood tests?

[halos2]

Get the test! The unknown will reek havock on his mental status. Knowing for sure will alieve his questions and if needed could potentiate treatments if necessary. Encourage the test.

My dad had a colonoscopy in Gainsville, and I had told him that he should have it done somewhere else. Now, he is hesitating on getting testing.

[TiredVeteran]

The VA Mountain Home in TN also had to test veterans. My husband was cleared. It was the ENT clinic here.

Happy Easter to all of you!

Debbie

[broncovet]

If I have learned ANYTHING about the VA the past 7 years is that it is "management by putting out fires"...its the VA way. Rather than figure things out ahead of time through carefull research and planning, they wait until things reach a crisis proportion and then shake their heads wondering what went wrong. If we maintained cars the way that the VA is managed..there would be no oil changes, they would post fire extinguishers so whenever a vehicle ran out of oil and caught on fire, it could be put out so that management would not get into trouble for people getting burned in cars.

That being said, there is NO SUCH THING as an "isolated incident". Whenever the VA says that, rest assured that means that it is a massive problem which they are trying to cover up again. Remember the shredder incident? It happened at one RO first..the Va says that they are dealing with it, that it is an isolated incident. Only after the VAOIG found 39 MORE regional offices also shredding Veterans claims, did they bother to do anything about it. By then, of course, it was too little too late.

Shredding of documents was an "isolated incident" back in 1989. Since there was no backlash for those VARO's, the other RO's soon learned that was an easy way to get out of work..just shred the Veterans application for benefits and forget it. That claim is done, and then they can report it as "processed" quickly..making it look like they are working hard and reducing the backlog. Then, its BONUS time for VA management. Other RO's soon get on the bandwagon...40 of 57 to be more precise.

Now, the VA wants to tell you that the colonoscopy issue is an "isolated incident". This is stage one of a massive problem..only this one is more of a national disaster.

GET TESTED NOW OR YOU WILL BE PUT ON A 25 million Veteran "Waiting List" for Testing, and you will probably be tested at Autopsy. If you think the claims backlog is big, wait until you see THIS backlog.