Walter Reed commanders admit fault...

... also say they had enough money and resources

from JoeUser Forums

Blowing huge holes in the argument for the blame Bush crowd (from AP News, via Yahoo! and other outlets):


Walter Reed commanders admit fault

Flayed by lawmakers' criticism, Army leaders said Monday they accept responsibility for substandard conditions at the service's flagship Walter Reed Army Medical Center but also said they hadn't known about most of the problems.

... later in the article:

Kiley said Monday he had been aware of some issues, including an October service assessment citing problems with Walter Reed staffing, medical evaluations and patient handling.

When asked by Rep. Christopher Shays why he hadn't previously asked Congress for money to fix the problems, Kiley said he did not think money was the issue. The general said the system for outpatient care is "complex, confusing and frustrating" and that more doctors, nurses and other staff are being brought in.

Lawmakers were not convinced.

Of course lawmakers weren't convinced that enough money had been thrown at the issue. That's the typical answer for lawmakers -- throw money at problems and they'll get better. But along with the money, they typically also throw in some new requirements and regulations or restrictions and oversight that adds to the bureaucracy and makes the situation worse.

On the plus side, as we've seen in the daily news cycle, the problems at Walter Reed aren't just there but exist in many places. The red-tape and hassles exist for the military throughout the world. The poor conditions in military hospitals also exist up and down the chain. The troubles at Walter Reed are bringing a spotlight on the problems everywhere. Hopefully these problems will be addressed and the situation will change for the better. It is, after all, what we as a country owe to those that serve on our behalf.

politics
2,972 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
And confirming yet again, these problems are inherent in the system and not the fault of the leadership in Congress, or of George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, or any one person that could fix these problems.  No one man, no matter how powerful someone thinks these people are, they would be wrong.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
It's Bush's fault. He should have been personally inspecting the place along with every other military hospital and facility in the world. It's not like he has anything else to do.
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
It'll never get fixed until it is privatized. There is no impetus to run efficiently this way, all the current kerfuffle will do is add more red tape.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Anyone who has ever had to use Military medical knows there are a lot of problems throughout the system.  Dharma recently blogged on her own experiences in that vein. This is not a new phenomena, nor is it "Bush's" fault, unless you want to tar every president since Washington with the same broad brush.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
But in the military the highest ranking bears the ultimate responsibility. No, he's not personally responsible for the conditions in the military hospitals but remember "the buck stops here". The officers in charge at Abu Ghraib did not have personal knowledge before the facts came out of what those enlisted soldiers were doing in the prison but they still had to take responsibility for what happened on their watch.

All Bush has to do is say that the current conditions are not acceptable. He's glad that the conditions came to light so they can now be corrected and our injured soldiers will recieve better care in the future. Is that so hard?
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

If we are to play infantile blame games, every Housemember, Senator and President over the last 50 years should be held personally responsible for the Walter Reed and the VA Hospital system.  Nothing that has come out about Walter Reed or the VA is anything new, all of Congress and all the presidents knew it, but they all did nothing.

It wasn't until there was a camera to mug for that anyone cared.

Any politician who suddenly starts caring about it now is only showing their own lack of integrity.

 

I am glad that the Commander was willing to stand up to his responsibility and admit fault... being the one whose job it was to fix the problems in the first place.

 

In my opinion (having been on both sides of the VA Medical Care system)... Shut it down!  It would be a lot cheaper and we would get much better health care if the VA was billed for our medical care directly from our physicians.