LETTERS: VA MEDICAL CARE IS LACKING

To the editor:

I would like to share with the public what wonderful veterans medical-care facilities we have here in the United States. Our government has really stood behind its agreement to see that all veterans have the best medical care possible. Our federal legislators and even President Bill Clinton ought to be very proud of making this possible.

My civilian doctor paid by the Veterans Administration sent me to the VA medical center in Poplar Bluff to have a knuckle replaced on my right hand. It took somewhere around three months to get them to look at it and decide to send me to St. Louis.

To make a long story short, they are finally getting around to maybe getting the job done. They have me scheduled for surgery May 11. The last three trips to St. Louis were canceled because they didn't know the doctor's schedule.

I showed up early for my last appointment in February. There were a lot of patients, and I stepped in the office where the doctors bring records when they are finished with a patient. I asked the first person I saw if Dr. Boyer was going to be there that day. He was putting on his coat to leave and wasn't planning on coming back. I said I had a 1 p.m. appointment and had already made two trips for nothing. The doctor took me into a room and checked me, and a student jogged his memory. He said he was upset that my records were not there. He finally told them to schedule me for surgery.

If I had a welfare card, I could have had this done and over with 18 months ago.

What do Ashcroft and Bond and Emerson have in common? They don't care one little bit about the people who have made it possible for the freedom they have. We should have an award for these people, and one also for the hospitals.

HAROLD REED

Leopold