A technician who previously worked at the John Cochran St. Louis Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center told the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs that she had warned officials about unsanitary dental equipment at the hospital but her concerns were ignored and she ultimately lost her job, according to an Associated Press story.
Earlene Johnson spoke at a special hearing in St. Louis on July 13. The hearing was convened after the VA sent letters to more than 1,800 veterans treated at the St. Louis dental clinic between February 2009 and March 2010, warning them that they may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV due to lapses in the sterilization of dental equipment.
Some 950 veterans have so far returned to the hospital for free blood screenings, and some have tested positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, according to George Arana, M.D., of the Veterans Health Administration.
Robert Petzel, M.D., VA undersecretary for health, told the committee that workers prewashing dental equipment failed to use a detergent before the equipment was sterilized. The hospital's equipment sterilization protocols have been corrected, he said.
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