WASHINGTON – The Army’s new acting surgeon general said Tuesday she is concerned because the military lacks money to hire enough nurses and mental health specialists to treat thousands of troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
“When the original plans were made, we did not take into consideration we could be in a long war,” said Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock. She became surgeon general earlier this month after Kevin Kiley was forced to resign in a scandal over poor treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
“We have not been able to do the hiring,” Pollock told a House Armed Services subcommittee.
She testified at the first of two congressional hearings Tuesday on veterans’ care.
Among complaints are the difficulties that troops and veterans have navigating the health-care system, including moving from military hospitals to the VA’s vast network of 1,400 clinics and treatment facilities, which provide supplementary care and rehabilitation to 5.8 million veterans.
At a Senate panel hearing, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said a first step is to provide the VA and Pentagon with the money they need to treat problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. A Senate bill that provides $122 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan includes millions to build polytrauma centers and hire new claims processors.
“I’ve just about had it with administration officials who assure us everything is being taken care of,” Murray said. “I know you work hard, but we are going to judge you by the results you get for our veterans, and we’re going to hold you accountable.”
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