Army vet David Crawford Discuss Veterans Administration Treatment of Veterans

UNEXPLAINED DEATHS at NORTH LAS VEGAS V.A. MEDICAL CENTER

The following accounts were sent to us by staff at the North Las Vegas V.A. Medical Center.

Case No. 1

On August 21, 2020, a 75-year-old Black female arrived at the Emergency Room of the North Las Vegas V.A. hospital. She accompanied her husband—a Marine Corps veteran—to the V.A. hospital. Her husband was scheduled to receive a blood transfusion.

The veteran couple had driven for over 90 minutes to get to the V.A. Upon arrival at the E.R. entrance, the wife was denied entry by the Emergency Room staff, citing COVID 19 policy.

At the insistence of the staff, the wife left the ER. She returned to the car in the ER parking lot. She sat in the car waiting for her husband’s procedure to end. Notably, the ER parking lot has no shade covering to protect cars from direct sunlight.

It was a hot August day. The temperature in Las Vegas was 114 degrees. In the parking lot, the temperature was likely around 125 degrees.

Waiting in the car alone, the wife must have felt the heat. She apparently became thirsty. She went back to the ER Dept. staff two more times. She told the staff that she was thirsty and needed to use the bathroom; however, on both occasions, staff turned her away.

This poor woman wanted to cool-off, but she had no driver’s license, so she couldn’t drive home. And, with only a quarter tank of gas, she did not wish to keep the engine running with the A/C.

She again sought refuge in the ER Department, but once again, they turned her away.

About five (5) hours later, the woman was found hunched over in the car. She died of a heat-related injury. She had suffered extreme heat stroke. Her body core temperature reached approx. 120 degrees; when they discovered her, she had heat blisters on her skin.

This death is tragic and unacceptable. But still, the V.A. Director has made no policy change for elderly caregivers who wait for their V.A. patients and loved ones.

Is there no “waiting room” for caregivers and family members? So long as they wear a mask ‘n gloves, they should be allowed into the hospital, right? Well, apparently, not.

The V.A. insists that—regardless of whether that 75-year old woman wearing a mask and gloves—no caregivers or family members may come into the hospital for any reason!

Again, even if the caregivers or family members have to mask ‘n gloves—or even a Haz-Mat suit—the V.A. will forbid entry. According to a statement issued by the V.A., caregivers will “be required to wait for their patient in their car.” (This is ridiculous!)

Case No. 2

I am a paraplegic patient who uses a manual wheelchair. I rely on the Las Vegas public Paratransit bus system. On September 17, 2020, it was 104 degrees. I had a scheduled pickup time of 7:30 p.m. I had just finished my appointment. While waiting for my bus to arrive, I sat in my wheelchair—inside the main entrance of the V.A. hospital—where they have air conditioning. However, they asked me to wait outside.

I was wearing a mask and I did social distancing. So, I asked them why they required patients to wait outside for their pickup. But still, they told me I must leave the facility. This is an outrage!

I suffer from a disease that is made worse when the body’s core temperature rises. For me, if exposed to heat for prolonged periods, it can be fatal.

So why did the V.A. make this vet wait outside in the heat? The pathological fear of Covid-19 yields policies that are ultimately determinant to our men and women who serve.

Case No. 3

At the same V.A. hospital, a veteran signed into the Dialysis Clinic for his scheduled treatment. Notably, dialysis patients are treated on an “inpatient” status. After finishing his treatment, he notified the staff that he had to use the restroom. He was experiencing chest and lower back pain. Staff assisted him in the bathroom.

This patient was later found deceased in the bathroom—a full eight (8) hours after finishing his treatment and being escorted to the restroom by staff.

No staff member or clinician bothered to follow-up on this patient until the clinic had closed. Did staff know that the deceased veteran had signed-out after his treatment? Did the clinician who escorted the veteran to the restroom ever check-up on the patient after he was escorted to the restroom?

One thing’s for sure—this patient had complained of chest and back pain to staff. He was escorted to the restroom, but no-one checked on him for at least 8 hours.

This incident, with the dialysis patient, according to Medical Center Director, William J. Caron, was “investigated and reported in accordance with established protocol.”

Remarkably, the V.A. officially declares that the recent deaths at the North Las Vegas V.A. hospital were already “reported” and “investigated,” however, the results of the official investigations are being kept top secret!