(KMOV) – Blood tests confirm that some veterans who received dental care at the John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Midtown are infected with HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
While it is unclear if patients became infected due to dental equipment that was not properly sterilized, Congress is still demanding answers, and so are veterans.
Terri Odom is one of the two veterans who testified about the disturbing letter she received telling her she might have been exposed to deadly viruses.
She told Congress that the letter was insensitive and no more serious than a letter letting her know the parking lot is being repaved.
Earline Johnson, a former VA employee who broke her silence two weeks ago told lawmakers she tried to alert higher-ups about sterilization problems. She says that got her fired.
When the VA undersecretary said he would get Congress a full report documenting problems by mid-August, Congress was not impressed.
Eventually the undersecretary put away his scripted remarks and said he was embarrassed by the way this situation has been handled, and acknowledged mistakes need to be corrected.
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