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Feb. 29, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Berkley calls for hearing on clinic incidents

By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
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WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley on Thursday called for a congressional hearing on tainted medical clinics, saying the disclosure that 40,000 Las Vegas patients might have been exposed to hepatitis strains and HIV is "far from an isolated case."

Berkley, D-Nev., asked the chairman of the House health subcommittee to convene experts to highlight outbreaks that have been linked to the reuse of contaminated equipment and unsafe clinic practices.

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    • "These events cannot be ignored," Berkley said in a letter to Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the chairman.

    Other Nevada lawmakers were in contact with federal and local health officials Thursday to better understand the scope of what has been called the largest patient notification of its kind.

    Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said his office had received calls from constituents "asking what should they do and where should they go."

    Porter said he was awaiting a call from Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and had scheduled meetings in Las Vegas today with county health officers.

    Porter said there were several potential avenues for federal involvement. A number of patients were enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, or were military veterans. He said a number of issues were unclear, such as who would pay for patient testing.

    "Right now, we just want to help," he said.

    Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., was watching the situation "to determine if further federal actions are needed," a spokesman said.

    Berkley was flying to Las Vegas on Thursday evening and was not available for comment. The congresswoman was not calling for a congressional investigation of the Las Vegas incident at this time, spokesman David Cherry said.

    "There have been incidents happening across the country at a frequency that it is a disturbing pattern in her mind," Cherry said. "What can we do to prevent these kind of incidents?"



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    David Johann wrote on February 29, 2008 09:15 PM: Ricin is easy to make. A delivery system is NOT easy to make.

    Interesting that this FANTASTIC headline grabber occurs on the same day that the Sierra Health (now United) / Dr. Desai cross contamination endoscopy scandal is also a FANTASTIC headline.

    It's almost like a classic CIA coup d'etat intelligence plan. Yeah, I'm crazy. I know.

    Do CIA types, who know how to pull-off stuff like this, moonlight? For enough money? Nah? Who might have the money to pay people in the know to do something like that?

    Do we have a patsy yet? A lone nut? A lone nut like Oswald, or Sirhan Sirhan, or James Earl Ray?

    As a child my mother was forced to drink castor oil. Any CIA lackey w/ two semesters of college chemistry can make some ricin from castor oil and plant it in a motel room, in the middle of one of the most egregious scandals in US history.

    Indian doctors in the United States are generally unable to achieve status outside their own, small, local communities.

    That's why they donate to politician's campaigns. Any politician. BINGO. Instant influence.

    "The registered Republican has given nearly $25,000 to federal candidates and committees going back to 1997. Like many business people, he has given to Democrats and Republicans alike, even opponents in the same race."

    Twenty-five-thousand dollar contibutions. The price of a car. Big whoop. But the influence that these contributions purchase goes WAY beyond multiple twenty-five-thousand contributions. WAY BEYOND.

    Too bad. When we think of doctors from India, we think of gentle humanitarians, reverent individuals.

    But whom did Sierra Health (now United) align with? A SOCIOPATH.


    Tom, Burbank wrote on February 29, 2008 11:23 AM: Berkley wants a hearing. Porter is waiting for a call. Reid is "watching the situation." Hot air from taxpayer paid idiots. As usual NO ONE is actually DOING anything.