LAUREL — Local U. S. Army Veteran Jerry Orman applauds the group of physicians who recently called for the resignation of the medical director of the G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson, but says other administrators should leave, too.

“None of them up there seem to care about veterans,” said Orman, a Vietnam War Veteran. “Those of us who fought for this country deserve better.”

Earlier this month, The Clarion-Ledger reported that a group of physicians working at the VA Medical Center called for the resignation of Medical Director Linda Watson and questioned her competence. The call for Watson’s resignation came after a U.S. District Court jury awarded retroactive pay raises to three radiologists who had complained of a hostile work environment at the Jackson VA. The jury did not award any other damages.

The National Federation of Federal Employees Local 589, which represents VA physicians, conducted a survey earlier this year in which 85 percent of the physicians said staffing shortages had affected their excellent delivery of care to veterans. Sixty-seven percent said they knew of management decisions to cut costs which decreased quality care.

Orman, 66, said he understands the country is facing tough economic times, but he expects better treatment of those men and women who risk their lives fighting for this country’s freedom.

He complains that during a recent stay at the Jackson VA, he had to share a room with two other patients. They had to share a bathroom that adjoined “two other rooms with two other patients.”

“We had one commode that had to be shared by all of us,” explained Orman. “Two men were being prepped for a procedure and were given medicine to make them use the bathroom.”

Orman said one day he was in a lot of pain and had a case of diarrhea. He said he called for a nurse, but the nurse sent an aide to the room to tell him the nurse was busy doing paper work and she would come down to check on him when she was finished.

And if this wasn’t bad enough,  Orman said the toilet tissue used in the bathrooms was thin enough to read a newspaper through it.

“I just don’t understand why we risks our lives for our country and yet get such rude treatment from those who are supposed to take care of our medical needs,” said Orman. “This country gives away billions to countries that hate us, but spends little to help those who love this country and are willing to die for it.”

In a letter in response to the call for Watson’s request, Mario Rossilli, the VA Medical Center’s public affairs officer wrote: “For the last four years, the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center has ranked among the top 10 percent of all VA facilities.  

“Recently, based on an external review, the Jackson VA's performance in clinical quality was ranked second compared to all VA Medical Centers nationally. It ranked first compared to VA facilities similar in size and complexity. Our Medical Center has achieved such outstanding success thanks to the hard work and dedication of VA clinicians and the entire workforce.”

Orman, who is among thousands of Vietnam War veterans exposed to a chemical known as Agent Orange, said he has a number of medical conditions as a result. Agent Orange is the name given to a blend of herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1961 to 1971 to remove plants and leaves from foliage in Vietnam that provided enemy cover.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans’ diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure are:

• Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy — a nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness

• AL Amyloidosis — a rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs

• Chloracne (or Similar Acneform Disease) — a skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (Now Being Expanded to B Cell Leukemias) — a type of cancer which affects white blood cells

• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus — a disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin

• Hodgkin’s Disease — a malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia

• Ischemic Heart Disease — a disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain

• Multiple Myeloma — a disorder which causes an overproduction of certain proteins from white blood cells

• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma — a group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue

• Parkinson’s Disease — a motor system condition with symptoms that include a trembling of the hands, imbalance, and loss of facial expression

• Porphyria Cutanea Tarda — a disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas

• Prostate Cancer — one of the most common cancers among men

• Respiratory Cancers — cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus

• Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma) — a group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues

“I have heart trouble, diabetes and am constantly in pain,” explained  Orman. “I take 17 pills a day to live a normal life and be able to exist.”

Orman noted that none of his medications are narcotics. He is prescribed no medication for pain.

Other veterans have similar problems and a lot more, added Orman. And like him, many veterans have to wait years to receive 100 percent of their veteran’s benefits. Some are still not receiving 100 percent.

“Why can’t the government give billions to take care of the veterans just like they gave billions to bail out those big companies like Chrysler and GM?” asked Orman. “It’s a bit disheartening.

“President John F. Kennedy is famous for say, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,’” added Orman. “I did for my country and so have all of the others who have served in the military.

“It’s about time this country stopped doing for those who haven’t done and do for those who have. I don’t believe many of those big company executives have done much for this country. They’re too busy lining their own pockets.”

Although Orman is upset about how the country seems to have turned its back on veterans, he said he still loves the United States and all it stands for. “It’s the land of opportunity, the greatest country in the world,” he said.  “Right now if they call for us to put our uniforms on and fight for the country, I would be the first one in line.

“I’m just saying that they need to bring in new people at the VA. Change needs to be made from the top to the bottom.”

According to Rossilli, Jackson VA employees are committed to ensuring the men and women who served the nation in the military receive the high quality health care they so rightly deserve.

“We recognize we have a duty to Veterans and citizens to shepherd our funds wisely and be good stewards of our resources,” said Rossilli. “ Funding allocations, including clinical services, are based on data presented to our leadership team. Our Chief of Staff,  the hospital's clinical leader, advocates for allocating resources in  a manner that allows us to provide all veterans the highest level of care.”