Posted by Tina
Veterans are still receiving poor care in the VA system even after several scandals have brought attention to failures. The incident this time involves a veteran who was found to have maggots in his wound in an Oklahoma VA hospital:
Executive Director Myles Deering said the maggots were discovered while the patient was alive but were not the cause of his death. He said the man came into the center with an infection.
“He did not succumb as a result of the parasites,” Deering said Tuesday. “He succumbed as a result of the sepsis.”
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection.
A physician’s assistant and three nurses, including the director of nursing, resigned in the wake of the investigation, said Shane Faulkner, a spokesman for the agency.
Owen Reese Peterson, aged 73, was a Viet Nam veteran. His son complained about the care his father had received: “During the 21 days I was there, … I pled with the medical staff, the senior medical staff, to increase his meds so his bandages could be changed…I was met with a stonewall for much of that time.”
Peterson died of sepsis, a condition “caused by an overwhelming immune response to infection.”
Poor care in VA facilities will continue to be an issue into the future. Most VA hospitals are in worse shape than our failing infrastructure and some report difficulty in staffing.
Trump and the Republican Congress must finally take steps to significantly address this shameful situation. One idea that’s been put forward will have an immediate and positive effect, allowing vets to seek help from alternative sources when care is being delayed. But decisions must also be made about staffing problems and repairing and updating facilities…or abandoning them altogether.
Should we choose to keep the VA system in some form, renovating or building new hospitals could be an excellent, long-term charitable project for the many billionaires that really do want to make a difference.
Hat Tip for maggot story: The Gateway Pundit
“Trump and the Republican Congress must finally take steps to significantly address this shameful situation.”
You mean provide staffing comparable to that in the private sector? They would have to be comparably compensated … and if a Republican Congress has, for the last six years, felt no compulsion to do so, I fail to see why you think it will happen now.
I tell you how the prevailing prognostication runs …. Being as they are, now, solely responsible, spending will rise … but not revenue … as per usual. But, you know, our ability to borrow is not what it was … our chief credit source is going broke too and may, indeed, start calling in what they’re owed. I can’t wait to see how the The Donald manages to distract you from that … actually … yes I can wait … as the usual ploy is global warfare.
“…as they are, now, solely responsible, spending will rise … but not revenue … as per usual.”
Still using those antiquated talking points?
As we have shown over many years democrats have always LIED about revenues generated following tax cuts. The Reagan record is one example. As the table clearly shows:
Democrats create their talking points from a method called static scoring in which it is assumed that in the future things remain the same. Dynamic scoring allows for changes brought about due to the tax cuts. See here. (The article also includes three examples of revenue rising when tax rates are cut.)
Lowered tax rates act as a very dynamic stimulus causing all of the American people to become involved through increased wages, savings, investment, and spending. As the economy begins to lift entrepreneurs are encouraged to start new businesses and we see expansion. When the people keep MORE of what they earn they change their patterns and we see increased GDP. These changes and increases generate additional revenues.
It’s not rocket science. It did happen under Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton after the Gingrich revolution!
The biggest contributor to deficit spending is Social Security and Medicare. these entitlements are unsustainable and should be reformed.
“…our chief credit source is going broke too and may, indeed, start calling in what they’re owed.”
As per usual I must attempt to read your mind but it sounds like you believe China is the “chief credit source,” am I right?
According to CNN-Money, China’s share of our debt is only 7% now:
It wouldn’t be such a tragedy except for the fact that Obama doubled the debt and kept interest rates artificially low. When they rise, and they will, servicing that debt will be the greater problem.
That’s a pretty offensive “gift” that Obama gave to the American people. Neither he nor you has the decency to feel shame and contrition. The only hope for us now is outstanding management and so far the ideas on the table are looking good…including, I’m sure, a plan to improve care for the veterans.
“…the usual ploy is global warfare”
Are you really going to crab about war after eight years of war without a winning strategy and terror gone wild under your guy, Obama?
Funny Libby.
I’m looking forward to Trump ending Obama’s was in Iraq.
Just a reminder Obama declared Bush’s was in Iraq over and he had ended it when he pulled all of our troops out except for a few thousand.
Now, Obama is sending in thousands to fight another war, his war… Obama’s war! Where are the protestors? The media? The chants of, “Obama lied and people died.”?
My fingers are crossed Trump asks Romney to be the VA director and he accepts. If any one can clean up this god awful mess he can. His pulling off the Salt Lake City Olympics was short of a miracle.
Two very strong and successful business men with their legal advisors would be able to go into that cesspool of corruption and knock some union leaders’ heads together and negotiate contracts that would have the bad apples running out the doors before they’re locked up behind steel ones.
Letting someone die from neglect has to qualify for criminal manslaughter charges at least and open to civil lawsuits for each one of them involved from the nurse up to the top administrator.
Romney’s legacy would rise to the top with the admiration of a nation that says they support their troops and vets, but words won’t keep these men and woman alive or provide the health care they’re entitled to because they earned it.