Veterans seeking care at the Okalahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center have another problem to be concerned with besides whatever might be ailing them. Bed bugs were found on one of the floors (story HERE).
Now, we get it. Bed bugs happen.
But normally at poorly kept motels. Not a medical facility where our veterans are trying to stay healthy.
A lot of our homeless veterans will often be checked for bed bugs when they’re seeking care. They take your clothes and put them in this heat machine and give you temporary things to wear.
The problem with this occurring at the VA is that it runs alongside a theme with many other VA problems. Poor management and systematic flaws in the way they’re taking care of veterans.
Earlier this year in Miami,their clinic didn’t have air conditioning (story HERE).
Last year in Phoenix, they had rats (story HERE).
And all of this chases a pandemic, where we identified many more problems at our VA clinics.
The responsibility lies at the top. We saw it at a congressional hearing with the VA earlier this week (story HERE). Out of touch administrators who aren’t paying attention and are never held accountable.
Nothing is going to change unless we cause change to happen. This means keeping track of these problems and letting our lawmakers know every time something gets missed.
When we go to a VA clinic, the only thing we want to bring back to our home are items that are going to help us get healthier. Not any unwanted pests.
Here is hoping things get better at the Oklahoma City VA.
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