Release data on suicides

Unfortunately, the Veterans Administration is a bureaucracy with flaws much like those affecting other agencies in government. Though health care professionals at the VA’s many hospitals and other facilities attempt to provide the best care they can for veterans, bureaucrats within the agency sometimes give it a bad name.

One such situation was discussed during a hearing recently by the House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee. Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the panel, expressed outrage concerning the issue of veterans who commit suicide.

Filner noted that e-mails introduced as evidence in a trial in San Francisco seem to indicate that some VA officials have attempted to downplay the number of suicide attempts by veterans under the agency’s care. If so, those officials should be fired, Filner said.

Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake testified at the hearing that information on suicides by veterans under VA care was not released because of concerns that it might not be accurate.

Of course, reliable information is critical in dealing with such concerns. Too often, after all, special-interest groups create artificial “crises” by inflating statistics. VA officials looking at the issue of veteran suicides certainly should deal with the facts.

Still, it will not surprise many veterans that some in the VA are being accused of blocking release of information that could be embarrassing to the agency.

If it is learned that VA officials attempted to “cook the books” on suicides by veterans, those responsible should be fired from their jobs.