MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) –
The Central Alabama Veteran’s Healthcare system held a town hall meeting on Tuesday, and the feedback was disturbing.
Hundreds of veterans showed up, some of them with claims that they were denied care, even in cases of emergencies.
The news comes in the wake of a national audit that found the Central Alabama system had some of the longest wait times in the country.
“When I got back from Vietnam, I was treated so bad at the VA, I wanted to kill myself, then I wanted to go back to Vietnam,” Willie Vaughans said.
Vietnam Veteran Willie Vaughans says the Central Alabama Health Care System has never treated him well.
“I’ve been coming here since 1969, that’s 45 years, the care, well they don’t want to wait on Vietnam veterans period,” said Vaughans. “They treated us like we were dirt. I felt I was treated better in a war zone than I was treated here.”
Vaughans believes the problems stretch far beyond the Montgomery campus.
“I’ve written Washington and everything, trying to get some help,” Vaughans said. “This place is unjust, the system, the VA period, is an unjust system, our government is an unjust system.”
Vaughans is voicing his frustrations now, and is hoping for some kind of change, but does not believe anything will happen.
“It was productive to voice our opinion, but the end result will be the same,” Vaughans said.
We were hoping to get the acting director’s reaction after the meeting, but he was tied up with veterans and was unavailable for comment.
He did sit down the media before the meeting got started and acknowledged, the central Alabama VA has a lot of work to do.
“We have a lot of improvements we need to make to regain your trust and the trust of the veterans,” said Dr. Robin Jackson. “That’s what I’m here for, that’s what the whole team here at CAVCHS is here for, is to regain your trust.”
“They full of lies, they sit up there with they smile, tomorrow you’ll see them, they walk by you like they don’t even see you,” Vaughans said.
Willie Vaughans remains doubtful, but refuses to remain quiet.
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