Health

VA Doctor Refuse Responsibility for HIV infected patients

by politisite | May 8, 2009 at 03:43 pm

510 views | 56 Recommendations | 8 comments

By Albert N. Milliron, Editor Politiste.com

Here is food for thought for those who wish for a National Health care system run by the United States Government. The Department of Veterans Affairs is a socialized health care modality that the Obama Administration is considering.

In this case, Tainted Endoscopic equipment was not properly sterilized at 3 VA Medical Centers. To date 5 have Tested Positive for HIV and 33 Have tested positive for hepatitis. Although 11,000 patients could have been subject to these dirty procedures, the VA, says that there is no way to prove that it was a Tainted medical equipment that caused these veterans to become positive. While it is true that there is no definitive way to identify if the patients received HIV or HEP from the equipment the VA has gone on a campaign to protect its interests. rather then the interest of its patients.

If this happened at a Private medical facility, one could pursue legal pathways due to negligence. The VA is protected from such law suits.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A top doctor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says former patients who tested positive for HIV or hepatitis will not be able to show they were infected by tainted equipment at VA medical centers.

Five patients have tested positive for HIV and 33 have tested positive for hepatitis since the VA started notifying more than 11,000 people treated at three VA medical centers in Miami, Augusta, Ga., and Tennessee that they may have been exposed to infectious body fluids after using endoscopic equipment that wasn't properly sterilized.

The blood tests are continuing. The agency has stressed that the positive results for the diseases may not have come from hospital mistakes.

The VA's chief patient safety officer, Dr. Jim Bagian, said he doesn't think anyone will ever know.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | Digg | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

amyjudd

at 15:49 on May 8th, 2009

This is awful - I can't believe it - I can't even imagine if this happened to someone I know or myself.

politisite

at 15:52 on May 8th, 2009

Our veterans deserve the very best care possible. For the VA to have 11,000 people test and then come out and say.. "you can't prove it was us" is beyond anything I can imagine.

Jarrett Martineau

at 15:50 on May 8th, 2009

Thanks for this. Good post.

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 16:46 on May 8th, 2009

my step-father got hepatitis 'C' from a blood transfusion from a private hospital but there was no way to prove it. It caused him years of pain and additional medical expenses. VA medical centers are not the only places to contract HIV and hepatitis. It's also possible to catch HIV from a visit to the dentist if the equipment is tainted.

The national health schemes in Europe do not lead to higher rates of infection for HIV and hepatitis.

Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 17:02 on May 8th, 2009

the biggest killers in medical centers is 'STAFF infections' and doctors! So many go in with a small problem and come out dead.

duo

at 21:27 on May 8th, 2009

I think the programs already "nationalized" should run better before the feds take over health care. That is a serious thing. The only people who will be limited to the doctors and treatments under federal health care will be poor and middle-class people. The way those classes lost their homes although the banks got bailed out . . .

politisite

at 12:31 on May 9th, 2009

Duo:

Thanks for your comments. I have received care from the VA. It is a mixed bag and does need reform. The primary care services seem to run very well. When it comes to procediures that require many people to perform tasks, some of the folks have been there back when patient care was not a priority and are diffiuclt to remove. It is quite a bit like congress. Hard tp get rid of the bad apples.

Anysia (not verified)

at 22:47 on June 15th, 2009

The reason this particular gov't paid health system failed so drastically is it was and still is chronically short funded, staff under trained, and facilities falling apart. Put the funding it needs, these deplorable conditions and events would stop. My heart goes out to the vets who were exposed and infected by poorly cleaned medical equipment. This would not have happened had the VA hospital been properly staffed by properly trained personel.