Secretary Harvey resigned abruptly Friday March 2, apparently under pressure from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as part of the fall-out from the scandalous conditions at Walter Reed Hospital. Mr. Harvey was quoted as complaining that the press coverage hadn't shown "the other side" of the story.
Well, what is the other side of the story? Hospital rooms in poor repair, inadequate staffing, wounded personnel unable to get proper care, lost medical records, vermin, mold, difficult access to the cafeteria, delayed treatment, delayed transfers, wounded personnel in buildings without proper elevators or other in-house transport. Find me the positive side of this.
I have previously worked for a military hospital as a civilian physician, and in my experience the higher the rank of military physicians the more wedded they are to outmoded ideas of treatment and the more resistant to suggestions from anyone who doesn't outrank them.
To clean up this mess I suggest that two civilian physicians with current active hospital experience begin a tour of Walter Reed with the hospital commander and his immediate superior, and an adequate entourage of NCOs and captains and lieutenants, building by building and room by room. Is this room inadequate? Who is assigned here. Lieutenant, you have 24 hour to transfer this patient to an adequate room. The first person who objects is immediately relieved of duty. And then a follow-up inspection, no excuses accepted. Is this room with a small hole in the ceiling acceptable? Then, Sergeant, take this pry bar and enlarge the hole until the room is unacceptable. You, Captain, are personally assigned to see that this soldier is taken to therapy as required. Be late once and you are reduced in rank and reassigned.
And if that doesn't work, bring back flogging.