In VA health care system, more waste than efficiency: Your Say

Despite attempted fixes, the VA health care system is still unable to meet demand, according to a Paste BN special report.

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Having worked in several VA hospitals, I can say the problem isn’t one of funding but of administrative bureaucracy. It is overwhelming. The hospitals are the epitome of government inefficiency, waste and corruption. Vets would receive far better care for less money if the government paid private caregivers and hospitals to care for them.

—Nall Gearheard

There are also many getting excellent care such as my husband, who is a Vietnam War veteran suffering from Agent Orange-related issues.

The VA center in Columbus, Ohio, has given him consistently excellent care over the past 15 years.

—Jean Siebert Wright

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In reference to Paste BN’s story on inadequate care at Veterans Affairs facilities, I have also listened to horror stories and know this happens in some places. I have a different story. On Dec. 7, I went to the VA clinic in Redding, Calif., because of persistent stomach pain. I was given an ultrasound and sent home. The doctor told me the ultrasound was negative for gallstones. He told me he would see me the next day, but if my pain increased to go to my local hospital’s emergency room, which I did. I was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, and the VA authorized treatment at the hospital. It turns out I have lymphoma. My first chemotherapy session was scheduled for Dec. 28. That’s quick in anyone’s assessment.

Robert Catalano; Chico, Calif.