A Fine Example of Government Healthcare In Action

By, Chris Rossini
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Let's rewind back to 2010, shall we?

A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work...

Such a disaster surely deserves an "investigation" and an irate Congressman...don't you think?

[Rep. Russ ] Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."

Now let's fast forward to January 13, 2013.

TheBlaze reports:

The Veterans Administration has told western New York members of Congress that more than 700 patients at the Buffalo VA Medical Center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C because of accidental reuse of insulin pens, according to a published report.

The hospital “recently discovered that is some cases, insulin pens were not labeled for individual patients,” Evangeline Conley, a spokeswoman for the hospital, told the newspaper. “Although the pen needles were always changed, an insulin pen may have been used on more than one patient.”

Conley said that once this was discovered the hospital “immediately changed its procedures to prevent insulin pens from being reused."

Cool...a procedure change not to reuse insulin pens on different patients.

But we're not done yet. Let's not forget the "investigation" and irate Congressman.

Here they are, right on schedule:

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was equally upset, calling for an investigation into what “can only be described as the grossest of irresponsible and dangerous behavior.”

Stay healthy.

They're coming for all of us.