VETERANS HEALTH ISSUES

DO SOMETHING FOR VETERANS DAY

As Vietnam Veterans are still paying the high price for what the government sent them to do, I wanted to see the standing on the issue of Hepatitis C, yet another issue facing these veterans. Back then the immunization guns were used over and over again on one GI after another. If an infected person transferred blood products onto the gun, it was then transferred to all who came after. We have heard of the health related problems associated with Agent Orange spraying. Most, by now, have heard about the mental health related problems with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, however few have heard of this other threat to the health of our veterans.

All veterans of Vietnam need to be tested for all of these conditions. Treatment is available and necessary. Medical test can determine if there are already health hazards related to Agent Orange and Hepatitis C. Mental health professional, highly trained and skilled, can test, begin medial therapy as well as talk therapy. The key, as with all issues is seeking treatment.

For the veterans of war, it is extremely difficult to recognize the physical and emotional changes as an illness. Too often when they manage to confide in someone what is happening inside of them, they are told to get over it, or that it will pass. They cannot "get over it" without treatment and the only thing that will pass is the window of healing. The sooner the veteran, or any person suffering from PTSD, seeks treatment, the better the results. Biological changes occur in the body which set off changes to the body as well as the emotional/chemical balances of the brain. It is not time to suck it up, get over it or to forget about it. The levels of stress may vary. However, when a second stressor hits, the illness begins to spiral out of control. Underlying symptoms are brought out and magnified as a result.

There were veterans of other wars with the term back then called "shell shock" and it was the result of the constant fear of death. With Vietnam, there were no safe zones to retreat to. Bases were bombed continually. Just as now with Iraq, there are no safe zones to retreat to. This is one of the biggest reasons why there are more Vietnam Veterans and Iraqi veterans suffering with PTSD than there were in wars of the past. Learn the signs of PTSD and seek treatment. Look for the signs in a loved one and urge they seek treatment. We have lost too many veterans to this illness by their own hands unable to cope and far too many have become homeless as well as increased the inmate population of our prisons.

While looking at the findings from the GAO, I came across the following. In 2003, the president was advised, as well as congress, of the need to increase funding of the VA to be able to deal with the influx of new veterans seeking their services. This warning was not paid attention to. The result has been the system is under funded and overwhelmed. Please urge your officials to push to have the veterans services fully funded. We owe the troops at least this promise be kept. No matter what side of the Iraq invasion you are on, this needs to be done for them. Veterans Day is fast approaching. Do not let this day be just one more day to ignore them.

Department of Veterans Affairs: Key Management Challenges in Health and Disability Programs (08-MAY-03, GAO-03-756T).

In previous GAO reports and testimonies on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and in its ongoing reviews, GAO identified major management challenges related to enhancing access to health care, improving the efficiency of health care delivery, and improving the effectiveness of disability programs. This testimony underscores the importance of continuing to make progress in addressing these challenges and ultimately overcoming them.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=162.140.64.88&filename=d03756t.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao

As Vietnam Veterans are still paying the high price for what the government sent them to do, I wanted to see the standing on the issue of Hepatitis C, yet another issue facing these veterans. Back then the immunization guns were used over and over again on one GI after another. If an infected person transferred blood products onto the gun, it was then transferred to all who came after.

VA Health Care: Further Efforts Needed to Improve Hepatitis C Testing for At-Risk Veterans (12-DEC-03, GAO-04-106). Hepatitis C is a chronic disease caused by a blood-borne virus that can lead to potentially fatal liver related conditions. In 2001, GAO reported that the VA missed opportunities to test about 50 percent of veterans identified as at risk for hepatitis C. GAO was asked to (1) review VA's fiscal year 2002 performance measurement results in testing veterans at risk for hepatitis C, (2) identify factors that impede VA's efforts to test veterans for hepatitis C, and (3) identify actions taken by VA networks and medical facilities to improve the testing rate of veterans at risk for hepatitis C. GAO reviewed VA's fiscal year 2002 hepatitis C performance results and compared them against VA's national performance goals, interviewed headquarters and field officials in three networks, and conducted a case study in one network.

-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- REPORTNUM: GAO-04-106 ACCNO: A09009 TITLE: VA Health Care: Further Efforts Needed to Improve Hepatitis C Testing for At-Risk Veterans DATE: 12/12/2003 SUBJECT: Disease detection or diagnosis Health care services Infectious diseases Medical information systems Medical records Performance measures Veterans benefits Veterans hospitals Hepatitis C.

Kathie Costos
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