The Disgrace of Military Health Care
by Jeff Davis
It’s not just Walter Reed Medical Center that’s treating our “wounded heroes” from the Iraq War disgracefully; there’s plenty of incompetence, apathy, poor sanitation and chaos reign throughout the entire military health care system.
The neocons just love to say they support the troops. Apparently “supporting the troops” doesn’t include quality long term care or clean and sanitary conditions or even a responsive staff at the Walter Reed military hospital. One patient pulled a bandage off his leg and the sight of his injury left him screaming for over an hour. Apparently none of the staff noticed the screaming. A USA Today article notes “The newspaper reported on moldy walls, rats and roaches at the outpatient facility where soldiers are sent after their initial treatment at the main hospital… The panel heard wrenching testimony… ‘My life was ripped apart the day my husband was injured,’ said Annette McLeod, whose husband, Walter, was hit in the head by a steel cargo door while working in Iraq… She said that when hospital officials found out her husband had had trouble with math in high school, they tried to use that to claim he had a learning disability and was mentally retarded, and therefore didn’t qualify for treatment of a brain injury.” (more…)