Friday, July 02, 2010
More than 1,800 veterans were potentially exposed to HIV and hepatitis at the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center thanks to poorly sanitized dental equipment. The exposure, which VA officials insisted was “low risk,” took place over a year before an inspection team discovered that the center’s dental operation was failing to clean equipment according to accepted standards.
The medical center sent out letters to 1,812 patients informing them of the mishap and offered free testing to determine if anyone contracted HIV or hepatitis B or C. Some veterans were angered by the news and the poor customer service treatment they received when they called the hospital to learn more.
One veteran said the VA official “talked to me like he was telling me how to change my oil. He was so insensitive.” Another remarked: “He tells me that the VA gives out free condoms. Imagine him telling me that when this has happened. I was shocked. Something like this I don’t need. Nobody needs it.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Veterans May Have Gotten AIDS, Hepatitis during Dental Treatment at St. Louis VA Hospital (by George Pawlaczyk, Belleville News-Democrat)
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