Well this is an overdue comment .The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has resigned. have written to him three times without a response.
The Veteran hospitals are challenged due to the overloading of patients ,and lack of good truing of the people who work there. Let me give you a few examples: When I went in for a biopsy of the thyroid the Doctor had to pole me these times with a two inch needle. I asked her what the problems was and she said” We do not have the 3 inch needles we have been out for a few months”,then another time I had a hand operation and two years later I saw a doctor for arthritis ,and he said you have some metal in your hand . I said no I don’t he said yes you do here is the x-ray. I went to the orthopedic doctor who performed the hand operation a few years earlier and told him and he said ” well, it is just a small piece of a needle that broke off and many people have metal in them.I told him well doc let’s put a piece of metal in you hand then ,and I insisted it come out. They didi an operation to remove it and it is now gone after three years. Hey , how about the time when I went to the V.A. and the Doctor told me to smoke pot in the 70’s , or how about the biopsy I had and then contracted E coli after I told him the room smelled and he said ” we had an accident prior to me having the biopsy. How about the time when I got tattoo removals and told to stay out of the sun with my arms, and then another doctor ordered the light box which is equivalent to the sun with my arms naked . A direct conflict with the other doctors advise.How about the podiatrist doctor lancing a cyst and them telling me it will come back so just drain it myself every so often. So I burnt a needle and lanced it and drained it twice a month causing an infection. Now I am on antibiotics. How about the most recent experience of getting an echocardiogram ,and the tech showing me my blood leaking back into the chamber and the doctor telling me it was completely normal after I have been told by several doctors I have a heart murmur. I still remain confused as to why the person who read the echocardiogram said it was normal ,but the tech said I had blooding leaking back into the chamber? Hey how about this one. I was told to come in to get an EKG. The girl asked when I can come ,I said 30 minutes. I dropped what I was doing at school arrived for the EKG and the receptionist told me the EKG machine was broke for a while and still not fixed. I will have to go 30 miles to go and get one at the hospital. I was not kicking my heels over that ,but it seems to be a common theme within the system. I told the girl she should be fired for calling me down for the EKG and not even knowing if it was fixed. It is either they are over worked, challenged or just do not care. If I was running it I can assure you those mistakes would only happen once if at all. Fire the incompetence clean house, bring in fresh people who need a job and will give that extra inch.There are a lot of competent people out there who need a job. Here is a thought : I wonder if working for the government makes one complacent, or not due to difficulty in firing federal employees. I am grateful to the V.A for the medical benefits I have been afforded ,but needed to share these few challenges I have personally experienced .
combatwarveterans 