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Show WHEN POLITICS SPELLS TRAGEDY Criticism of the calibre of treatment being received by war veterans in the veterans' hospitals throughout the nation is spreading with the rapidity of a prairie fire. American men in the armed forces on active duty receive the best medical medi-cal care in the world. Hut when they are retired to the status of veter-ans and are referred to the tender mercies of the Veterans' Administration, they are subjected to incredibly incredi-bly poor hospital and medical care, according to reports. They have been receiving this kind of abuse apparently because be-cause the veterans' hospitals are swamped in red tape and high authorities are politicians rather than medical experts. Although, it is a shameful episode, and not the least tragic fact that it will take precious time to effect a clean-up. With public opinion aroused, there undoubtedly will be an investigation a bill has aready been introduced in congress con-gress demanding a thorough one. But there will be interminable intermi-nable delays while the bureaucratic machinery of government govern-ment turns out endless reports. Some day, months or years from now, veterans lying helpless in wards of these government govern-ment hospitals, who all this time are getting care which would not be countenanced for a moment in a modern hospital, hos-pital, may get relief, if still alive. This is what happens when politics is mixed with medicine medi-cine It is a terrible example that should awaken all of us to the danger of hasty action on the question of how far we permit government to go in controlling civilian medical care. A mistake could mean lower medical standards and the needless need-less sacrifice of countless lives. |