Fwd: GAO Study Documents VA 'Noncompliance'With Protections for Vetera ns in Medical Experiments

[Guest guest]

From: VetComm <VetComm@...>

Reply-news-request@...

news@...

Subject: GAO Study Documents VA 'Noncompliance'With Protections for Vetera

ns in Medical Experiments

Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 16:15:06 -0400

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Dan Amon

September 27, 2000

(202) 225-3664

GAO Study Documents VA 'Noncompliance'With Protections for Veterans in

Medical Experiments

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A General Accounting Office (GAO) study indicates little

has been done to protect veterans from abuses in medical research and that

the pattern is not confined to the West Los Angeles VA facility where

concerns originated, according to Rep. Terry Everett (R-AL).

Rep. Everett, Chairman of the House VA Subcommittee on Oversight and

Investigations, has scheduled a hearing to review that GAO study at 10 a.m.

Thursday in the 334 Cannon hearing room. He ordered the GAO study after the

April, 1999 hearing on suspension of all medical research at the West Los

Angeles VA medical facility. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS) and the VA suspended research programs at the two facilities even

before reports of veterans being subjected to medical procedures without

their consent. The GAO now is expected to document a similar lack of

safeguards at eight other VA medical centers.

After the 1999 hearing Everett and other lawmakers sent a strongly-worded

letter to the VA demanding to know why specific allegations of abuse were

not reported to the proper authorities within the VA and HHS.

" Eighteen months later the VA still can't assure this Subcommittee or the

veterans' community that medical research safety is significantly better, "

Everett said. " I've read the GAO testimony, and it's painfully obvious the

VA hasn't been aggressive in setting up safeguards to protect the rights of

veterans participating in medical experiments. The GAO has found a

'disturbing pattern of noncompliance " with mandated safeguards, and I want

to know why. The operative word seems to be 'slow.' "

To get more answers Chairman Everett will call on officials from the

Veterans Health Administration, HHS and GAO to testify at the Thursday

morning hearing. Because of the importance of the testimony the GAO is

sending Assistant Comptroller General Victor S. Rezendes to testify before

the Subcommittee.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Please visit http://veterans.house.gov, the House Committee on Veterans'

Affairs web site, named 'One of the Best Web Sites in Congress' by the

Congressional Management Foundation, May 3, 1999.

_________________________________________________________________________

Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at

http://profiles.msn.com.