Is Our Government Discriminating Against our Vets?

It is a sad state of affairs when I learned from Pam Karasik, MD of the Washington VA Medical Center that she often has to borrow medical equipment (ablation catheters) from the Washington Hospital Center due to budget constraints at the VA Medical System. Their cardiology budget, excluding implantable defibrillators (which fall under their own separate budget) is only $50,000 per quarter. When I estimated our hospital's costs for this budget, I would only be able to treat at most 10 patients in that three month period in our hospital in Chicago.

There is no question that additional dollars for the health care of our veterans should be a priority in Congress. It is unconscionable that these men and women who have sacrificed life and limb to serve our country have their health care financially rationed.

--Wes