ATLANTA -- The controversy over medical treatment of our vets is picking up momentum as more vets step forward to speak out. President Obama has ordered an investigation into VA medical facilities and the list has been expanded to 26.
Georgia has 35 VA medical facilities and although the Office of the Inspector General won't say if any of those are the list, there have been past problems involving patients falling through the cracks and waste.
Atlanta's VA Medical Center on Thursday confirmed that it was visited by the Office of Inspector General on May 14 to review scheduling processes and procedures and some recommendations were made.
Retired Army Sgt. Greg Wells, of Austell, is all too familiar with the VA.
"Since I've been retired from the Army in 2005 it's been pretty much the same process, hurry up and wait for nothing," he said.
And waiting and delays are allegations being made about the deaths of 40 veterans awaiting treatment at a VA hospital in Phoenix.
Fortunately, Wells is healthy but he's been waiting since November to be seen at a VA clinic in Austell. He says he called six times and left messages and then finally drove there only to be kept waiting again.
"I go in about 15 minutes early, sitting there waiting and waiting no one's calling my name or anything like that. Forty minutes later I still haven't been seen. I walked up to the receptionist and I told her, tell the doctor when she has time to see me just basically give me a call and I haven't heard from them since."
That was in April. For Wells, it's not life and death but there have been more serious problems like an Inspector General's report into Atlanta VA Medical Center over complaints of mismanagement and lack of oversight of a mental health contract. It was determined that "patients fell through the cracks".
According to the report, while facing delays in treatment one patient committed suicide, another died of a drug overdose and a third mental health patient was incarcerated.
The report also pointed out billing problems - up to 20 treatments were authorized for a patient but payments were made for 70.
The president has vowed a fix but Georgia Democratic Congressman David Scott says it wasn't soon enough
"There was no urgency - Mr.President we need urgency.. We need you to roll up your sleeves and get into these hospitals," Congressman Scott pleaded on the floor of the House.
Wells says during active duty medical attention wasn't a problem but now?
"Since being out of the service, total disregard," he said.
Recommendations for change have been made at Atlanta's VA Medical Center but the public affairs office didn't elaborate on what those changes are, except to say there was no finding of misrepresentations made in scheduling practices.
