VA Healthcare Flubs Piling Up

As the U.S. Healthcare controversy continues to fester, the obvious example of government sponsored healthcare provides discouraging examples that demonstrate inattention to basic hygieneic practices, medical disciplines, and administrative procedures involving fatal outcomes.

June 16, 2009 - Report: VA Facilities Improperly Sterilized Colonoscopy Equipment - (Washington Post)
The Veterans Affairs inspector general report(pdf) follows revelations that VA hospitals in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee possibly exposed 10,320 veterans to hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV by not properly cleaning equipment. As of today, 13 of those veterans have tested positive for hepatitis B, 34 for hepatitis C and six for HIV, according to the VA.

Aug. 18, 2009 - 6 more cases of botched cancer treatment at Pa. VA - (AP)
The errors happened in a common surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer. That brings the total to 98 veterans who were given incorrect radiation doses over a six-year period at the hospital.The program had treated 114 cancer patients before it was halted when the problem surfaced in 2008.

and now,

Aug 24, 2009 - 1,200 veterans wrongly told they got fatal disease - (AP)
At least 1,200 veterans across the country have been mistakenly told by the Veterans Administration that they suffer from a fatal neurological disease. One of the leaders of a Gulf War veterans group says panicked veterans from Alabama, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming have contacted the group about the error.

Horrors: Timely Preview of Universal Health Care

April 20, 2009 - Senators Set Timetable for Health Care Bills
The chairmen of two Senate committees told President Obama today that by early June they would finish writing legislation on health care to “provide coverage to all Americans.”

The literal meaning of socialized medicine is limited to systems of government operated health care facilities using government employed health care professionals.[8][9][10][7]. This definition applies both to British National Health Service hospital trusts and the Veterans Health Administration in the United States.

This brief posting has only three items to keep in mind.

First, citizens of the U.S. should insist that members of Congress subject themselves to the same health care facilities to which the public will be subjected, not the separate and privileged Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) plan they currently enjoy at our expense.

Secondly, the hallmarks of the terms public and universal as in restrooms or military conscription (the draft) have often meant lowered standards. Restroom sanitation particularly comes to mind in both public highway rest stops and VA hospitals (Washington post article) .

Apr 19, 2009 - VA: 3 patients HIV-positive after clinic mistakes
Initial tests show one patient each from VA medical facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Augusta, Ga., and Miami has the virus that causes AIDS, according to a VA statement. ...The patients are among more than 10,000 getting tested because they were treated with endoscopic equipment that wasn't properly sterilized and exposed them to other people's body fluids. ...The VA also said there have been six positive tests for the hepatitis B virus and 19 positive tests for hepatitis C at the three locations. ... The VA has said it does not yet know if veterans treated with the same kind of equipment at its other 150 hospitals may have been exposed to the same mistake before the department had a nationwide safety training campaign.

Finally, with few exceptions, the current administration is comprised of lawyers. There can be little doubt that the final Universal Health Care Act will require private medical insurance
accounts and health care providers. This will assure lawyers' job security (right to sue for malpractice claims). Will the cost of health care be lowered like standards will?

Of course not, check your local hospitals. Liability claims eat 40% - 60% of the typical hospitals budgeted allocations now. As standards further deteriorate and lawyers sue, these allocations will certainly rise. Lawyer job security, it seems, is destined to improve regardless of economic crises.

Well, do you still want socialized medicine?