A cikin takarar shugaban kasa a 2020, Joe Biden ya gabatar da kansa a matsayin abokin tsohon soja na gaske. Ba kamar abokin hamayyarsa na Republican ba, a zahiri Biden yana da ɗa wanda ya yi aiki a cikin Sojojin ƙasa kuma ya sami Tauraron Bronze don hidimarsa a Iraki. Shi da matarsa Jill sun jaddada haɗin kansu da sauran iyalan soja. Biden ya soki Donald Trump saboda "rashin aikin kungiya, gazawar ma'aikata, gibin jagoranci, da gazawar tsarin" na Sashen Harkokin Tsohon Sojoji (VA) a lokacin gwamnatinsa.
Biden ya zargi Trump da kokarin "mai zaman kansa da tarwatsa VA" kuma ya yi alkawarin cewa ba zai taba "kare" tsarin kula da lafiyar jama'a mafi girma na kasar ba saboda marasa lafiya miliyan tara suna samun kulawar da ta ke "na musamman, tallafi, kuma na biyu ga kowa." Da yake magana akan hidimar dansa Beau akan sansanonin soji tare da ramukan konewa da mutuwarsa daga cutar kansar kwakwalwa, Biden ya yi alƙawarin yin saurin yin nazari game da irin wannan fallasa mai guba da kuma yuwuwar tasirinsu ga ɗaruruwan dubunnan sauran tsoffin mayaƙan bayan-9/11.
A yayin jawabinsa na ranar 1 ga Maris, shugaban ya gabatar da gwauruwar wani tsohon sojan Iraqi daga Ohio, wacce ta mutu sakamakon cutar kansar huhu bayan da aka ajiye ta "yadi kadan daga ramukan konewa girman filayen kwallon kafa" kusa da Bagadaza. Ya sanar da Majalisa cewa, a karkashin jagorancinsa, VA a yanzu "tana yin sabbin hanyoyin haɗin kai mai guba ga cututtuka" da "taimakawa ƙarin tsoffin sojoji samun fa'ida" don yanayin numfashi da suka shafi aikin soja. Ya ba da shawarar doka don kara tabbatar da cewa "tsofaffin da suka lalace ta hanyar fallasa masu guba a Iraki da Afganistan a ƙarshe sun sami fa'ida da cikakkiyar lafiyar da suka cancanci."
Rasa daga kashi na biyu na wannan alƙawarin-kuma mai mahimmanci don cika shi-shi ne duk wani ambaton saka hannun jari da ake buƙata a cikin kayan aikin jiki na Hukumar Kula da Lafiya ta Tsohon Soja (VHA). Kamar hanyoyin jama'a, gadoji, da tsarin ruwa na birni waɗanda Hukumar Biden ke da sha'awar gyarawa da haɓakawa, yawancin cibiyoyin kiwon lafiya na VHA 171 da wuraren jinya 1,112 'yan takara ne don haɓakawa. Don kula da sabunta wuraren VHA da ke akwai da gina sababbi don saduwa da bukatun marasa lafiya na yanzu da na gaba kamar waɗanda ke fama da ƙona rami, VA tana buƙatar kimanin dala biliyan 70 da dala biliyan 80 a cikin sabbin kashe kuɗi.
Shugaban Kamfanoni?
A cikin shirin farko na kashe kayan more rayuwa na gwamnatin Biden a cikin 2021, dala biliyan 18 kawai aka ware don sabunta waɗannan wuraren, amma Majalisa ba ta amince da ita ba. A cikin “Dokar Gina Baya mafi Kyau” Shugaban kasa har yanzu an rage wannan kason zuwa dala biliyan 5. A ranar 14 ga Maris, Sakataren Harkokin Tsohon Sojoji, Denis McDonough ya ɗauki mataki mafi girma daga gina baya a VA. A cikin wani shiri na shekaru 10 da aka shirya don Hukumar Kayayyakin Kayayyakin Kayayyakin Kayayyakin Kayayyaki (AIR) na VA, McDonough ya ba da shawarar rage yawan cibiyar sadarwa ta ƙasa na wuraren kulawa kai tsaye da ke hidimar tsoffin sojoji. Kuma yana tsammanin fitar da ƙarin magani ga masu samar da kamfanoni masu zaman kansu, har ma a ciki yankunan karkara inda ƴan zaɓuka kaɗan ne, musamman ga ayyukan kula da lafiyar kwakwalwa.
Kamar yadda Jacobin ya ruwaito a baya, karuwar sayar da VA ya fara ne a karkashin Shugaba Obama, ya ci gaba a karkashin magajinsa na Republican, kuma yanzu yana faruwa a kan agogon Biden. Wannan yanayin fitar da kayayyaki mai tsada da almubazzaranci ya haɓaka tun daga 2018 lokacin da Majalisa ta baiwa Donald Trump ɗayan manyan nasarorin da ya samu na jam'iyyun biyu - Dokar VA MISSION. Yayin da yawancin 'yan jam'iyyar Democrat suka zabi Dokar MISSION, manyan abokan gaba kamar Bernie Sanders, tsohon shugaban kwamitin kula da tsofaffin majalisar dattawa, har ma da kakakin majalisar Nancy Pelosi ya nuna cewa karkatar da biliyoyin daloli daga kulawar kai tsaye ta VHA zuwa masu samar da waje zai lalata tsarinsa sosai. na asibitoci da asibitoci. Pelosi ya annabta, daidai, cewa yana kuma haɓaka “kamfen na wargaza lafiyar tsoffin sojoji” da Koch Brothers suka samu.
Duk da alƙawarin yaƙin neman zaɓe na Biden ba zai “ɓata kuɗin” VHA ba, a cikin shekararsa ta farko a ofis, dala biliyan 18-ko kashi 20 cikin 174 na duk kuɗin kula da lafiyar hukumar—an yi amfani da shi don biyan ayyukan kiwon lafiya masu zaman kansu, sarƙoƙin asibiti, da kuma riba. sauran ’yan kwangilar waje. Yayin da McDonough ya yi alƙawarin maye gurbin 19 rufaffiyar asibitocin tsofaffin asibitoci tare da ƙaramin adadin wuraren marasa lafiya, gabaɗayan shirinsa zai ƙara kawo cikas ga isar da ingantaccen kulawa wanda ya fi dacewa da haɗin kai a VHA kuma mafi inganci fiye da na kamfanoni masu zaman kansu. Zai kawo cikas ga ikon VA don ci gaba da yin hidima a matsayin tsarin ajiya don cunkoson wuraren kamfanoni masu zaman kansu yayin rikicin cikin gida ko na ƙasa kamar cutar ta Covid-XNUMX. Hakanan zai haifar da mummunar tasiri a matsayin "asibin koyarwa" na VA saboda dubban sabbin likitoci, ma'aikatan jinya, da sauran ƙwararrun kiwon lafiya, waɗanda yanzu aka horar da su a VHA, suna buƙatar saitunan marasa lafiya don jujjuyawar su na asibiti.
Membobi tara- Hukumar AIR shine ƙirƙirar Dokar MISSION, tare da haɗakar 'yan takarar Democrat da Republican (waɗanda dole ne Majalisar Dattijai ta amince da su). Ya kamata aikinta ya kasance kamar tsarin Sake Gyarawa da Rufe (BRAC) na Ma'aikatar Tsaro. Kwamishinonin za su kasance har zuwa watan Fabrairu mai zuwa don yin la'akari da shirin McDonough. Bayan haka, fadar White House za ta sake duba nasu binciken da shawarwarin. Bayan haka Biden na iya neman Majalisa ta kada kuri'a a kansu, amma ta hanyar sama ko kasa, ba tare da damar yin gyare-gyare ba. Kamar yadda McDonough ya shaida wa taron RAND Corporation na baya-bayan nan, "wannan yana nufin cewa akwai gagarumin ci gaba a bangaren Shugaban kasa."
A Stacked Deck
Wannan hanya mai sauri, wanda aka gada daga Trump, ba shine kawai filin nakiyoyin da masu kare VA ke fuskanta ba. Kamar yadda wani mai fafutuka na tsohon soja ya yi nuni da cewa, “ko da Majalisa ta amince da cikakken jerin shawarwarin AIR a shekara mai zuwa, har yanzu za ta buƙaci aiwatar da ƙayyadaddun ƙima na gaba don samar da kudade na musamman ga kowane sabon wurin. Tsarin AIR na iya haifar da tsarin da Majalisa ta amince da shi, amma ba tare da isassun abubuwan da suka dace ba, babu tabbacin cewa za a gina wani takamaiman sabon wurin.”
Bugu da kari, da yawa wadanda aka zaba a cikin kwamitin, gami da zabin Biden na shugaba, Patrick J. Murphy, abokan hulda ne. Murphy shine tsohon sojan yakin Iraqi na farko da aka zaba a Majalisa sannan ya yi aiki a Gwamnatin Obama-Biden a matsayin karamin sakatare na Sojoji. Yanzu ya sanya kansa a matsayin "dan jari-hujja," "dan kasuwa," da kuma "mai kirkiro kula da lafiya" tare da "bukatun kasuwanci iri-iri," a cewar gidan yanar gizon sa.
Murphy a halin yanzu yana shugabantar Hukumar Ba da Shawarwari ta Gwamnati na Kamfanin Cerner, wanda ya karɓi kwangilar dala biliyan 10, wanda Gwamnatin Trump ta bayar, don haɓaka bayanan likita a VHA. Ayyukan Cerner ya zuwa yanzu sun kasance bala'i, a wuraren da aka fitar da tsarin maye gurbinsa. Ka tuna waɗancan "rashin tsarin IT" a VA wanda ɗan takarar Biden ya zargi Shugaba Trump shekaru biyu da suka gabata? Da kyau, Murphy ya yi iƙirarin cewa Cerner yana yin kyakkyawan aiki yana ba da tabbacin cewa tsoffin sojoji za su sami "ƙwarewar mai da hankali kan haƙuri." Murphy kuma yana aiki a matsayin mai ba da shawara ga Lafiya ta Northwell, mafi girman mai ba da kiwon lafiya a jihar New York, gami da na tsoffin sojojin da ke samun kulawa a wajen VA-kamar yadda da yawa za su yi a NYC idan an amince da tsare-tsaren rufe kayan aikin McDonough.
Wasu da dama da aka nada sun kasance wani ɓangare na kwamitin ba da shawara na VHA mai mambobi 15, wanda Majalisa ta ƙirƙira a lokacin Gwamnatin Obama. A matsayin memba na Hukumar Kulawa a cikin 2015-16, tsohon Guard Coast Rear Admiral Joyce Johnson wani bangare ne na masu ra'ayin mazan jiya, masana'antar kiwon lafiya. Membobinta sun hadu a asirce don haɓaka shirin kawar da VHA gaba ɗaya nan da 2035 da kuma juya duk ayyukan da masu biyan haraji ke bayarwa akan kamfanoni masu zaman kansu. Rahoton ƙarshe na mafi yawan Hukumar Kulawa bai yi nisa ba amma har yanzu ya fi son yanayin da kashi 40 zuwa 60 na kulawar VHA za a fitar da su.
Tsohon sojan Vietnam Michael Blecker, darektan Swords to Plowshares, ƙungiyar sa-kai da ke hidimar tsoffin mayaƙa a San Francisco, ya shigar da ƙara. ra'ayi mai sabani. Ya yi gargadin, cikin annabci, cewa "mafi mahimmancin shawarar Hukumar…zai yi barazana ga rayuwar tsarin kula da lafiya na tsohuwar al'umma a matsayin zaɓi ga miliyoyin tsoffin sojojin da suka dogara da shi." Abin baƙin ciki, a kan Hukumar AIR, Blecker za a sake fitar da lamba.
Ma'aikata da Faɗuwar Siyasa
A halin yanzu, shugabannin ƙungiyar VA ba su ji daɗin sanarwar McDonough na Maris 14 ba (ko cire su daga Hukumar AIR, wanda ba ya haɗa da wakili ɗaya na ƙungiyar 250,000 da ke wakiltar ma'aikata waɗanda ayyukansu da ayyukansu za su yi tasiri). Masu sukar ma'aikata na shirin McDonough, sun hada da Tarayyar Ma'aikatan Gwamnati ta Amurka (AFGE), babbar kungiyar VA, da National Nurses United (NNU), wacce ke wakiltar RNs 20,000, gami da wadanda ayyukansu na iya kasancewa cikin hadari a asibitocin VHA a Manhattan da Brooklyn.
Shugaban AFGE na kasa Everett Kelley ya annabta cewa "rufe wuraren VA zai tilasta wa tsoffin sojoji dogara ga rashin daidaituwa, masu zaman kansu, kulawar riba, inda za su sha wahala daga dogon lokacin jira kuma su kasance ba tare da ƙwarewa na musamman da haɗin gwiwar sabis na VA kawai ba. Duk lokacin da VA ta yi ƙoƙarin mayar da kulawar tsoffin sojoji, kamfanoni masu zaman kansu sun tuhumi tsoffin kuɗi daga aljihu don sakamako mafi muni. ” Memba na NNU Mildred Manning-Joy yana magana ne game da shirin Biden asa VHA ma'aikaciyar jinya, tsohuwar da kanta, kuma mahaifiyar mara lafiyar VHA. Manning-Joy ta ce: “Ɗana ya yi yawon buɗe ido da yawa a Afghanistan da Iraqi. Yana ɗauke da tabo marasa ganuwa na lokacinsa a cikin yaƙi, kamar yawancin tsoffin sojojinmu. Na amince da kulawar sa ga VA saboda na san yana ba da kulawa mafi kyau a cikin yanayin tallafi. "
Sauran ƙungiyoyin VA- waɗanda suka haɗa da, a wasu sassan ƙasar, ƙungiyoyin SEIU da ƙungiyar ma'aikatan tarayya ta ƙasa mai alaƙa da IAM-suna tattaunawa da AFGE da NNU akai-akai. Tare, da fatan za su fito da wani tsarin aiki na hadin gwiwa, don kara kaimi wajen yaki da cin hanci da rashawa. Don tallafawa membobin NAGE/SEIU suna fuskantar yuwuwar asarar aiki a cibiyar kula da lafiya ta VA a Northampton, Mass., Associationungiyar Ma'aikatan jinya na Massachusetts suna shiga cikin jerin zanga-zangar a can, wanda aka shirya ranar 24 ga Maris.
Ma'aikata da abokan aikinta sun fi yin motsi cikin sauri, tare da ƙarin ayyuka na tushen tushe kamar wannan. 'Yan Republican sun riga sun sami shirin yaƙi-kuma ya haɗa da sanya kansu a matsayin manyan masu kare abin da Gwamnan Dakota ta Kudu Kristi Noem ya kira. "Cin amanar Biden." A matsayin dan jam'iyyar Republican na dama na Congress, Noem ya zabi Dokar MISSION na 2018. Yanzu, ta fuskanci yiwuwar asibitocin VA a cikin jiharta da aka rage zuwa asibitoci da kuma asibitin da ake ciki da aka rufe, tana kan hanyar yaki da 'yan jam'iyyar Democrat. suna "kare tsoffin tsoffin sojojinmu ta hanyar ba da shawarar rufewa da rage kayan aikin VA a duk faɗin ƙasar."
A cikin birnin New York, dan uwansa mai goyon bayan Trump kuma 'yar majalisar wakilai ta jihar Staten Island Nicole Malliotakis ta ba da amsa da sauri fiye da ɗayan. tsoffin sojoji biyu yunƙurin neman takarar Demokraɗiyya don korar ta daga gundumar da aka sake tsarawa wanda yanzu ya haɗa da asibitin VA da ke cikin hatsari a Brooklyn. "Ni da tsoffin sojojin da nake wakilta muna hauka kamar jahannama," Malliotakis ya fada New York Post masu karatu. "Ba za mu ƙyale Hukumar Biden ta rufe waɗannan wuraren ba." A ranar 13 ga Maris, ta shirya wani taron tsoffin sojoji a Brooklyn na neman sauya wannan shawarar "mara yarda".
Wannan shine irin saurin mayar da martani - akan sikelin mai yawa - cewa ƙarin ma'aikatan VHA suna buƙatar ɗaukar kansu don ceton hukumarsu daga wani misali na Joe Biden da ke ci gaba da aiwatar da manufofin Trump, maimakon gyara barnar da suka yi.
Steve Early da Suzanne Gordon mawallafa ne na wani littafi mai zuwa mai suna "Tsojojin mu: Masu nasara, Masu hasara, Abokai da Makiya akan Sabon Terrain of Veterans Affairs," daga Jami'ar Duke Press. (https://ourvetsbook.com/) Za a iya samun su a [email kariya].
ZNetwork ana samun kuɗi ta hanyar karimcin masu karatun sa.
Bada Tallafi