At least 19 veterans diagnosed with cancer died between 2010 and 2011 as a result of delays in routine medical procedures at Veterans Affairs hospitals, according to a report from CNN.
In particular, the veterans suffered from delays in endoscopies and colonoscopies and are part of the 82 total veterans who have died as a result of waits for procedures or adverse events associated with waits for procedures, which have been upwards of one year, according to the report.
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Death tallies vary across regions. Ten veterans died in South Carolina and Georgia, while 29 more were sent notices of adverse events — health consequences as a result of medical care — due to delayed care. In Florida, five veterans died, and 14 received the adverse event notices. The Rocky Mountain VAs saw the death of two veterans, with four others experiencing adverse events. In Texas, seven veterans received adverse event notices.
The backlog has previously been made public, with more than 7,000 veterans stuck on a waiting list in the South Carolina and Georgia region circa 2011.
According to CNN, all requests for interviews with top VA officials, including Eric Shinseki, head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, have been either ignored or denied. However, the VA has issued a statement from Robert Petzel, MD, undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. "As a result of the consult delay issue VA discovered at two of our medical centers, the Veterans Health Administration conducted a national review of consults across the system. We have redesigned the consult process to better monitor consult timeliness. We continue to take action to strengthen oversight mechanisms and prevent a similar delay at another VA medical center. We take any issue of this nature extremely seriously and offer our sincerest condolences to families and individuals who have been affected and lost a loved one," he said in the statement.
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