Letter: Nevada veterans are getting short shrift

Sunday, June 24, 2007 | 7:09 a.m.

Due to our unprecedented growth in population, Southern Nevada has had inadequate veterans health care. Today we have the highest population of veterans in the country and, sadly, the highest per capita of homeless veterans.

Our returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering seven casualties for every fatality. This is more than double the rate in previous wars. The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now one out of six troops and traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one out of 10 troops injured.

It is clear that our inadequate system, made worse by the unnecessary closure of the Addeliar Guy Ambulatory Clinic in 2003, and the resultant dispersion of the Veterans Affairs health care system to more than a dozen locations, has led to less efficiency. Since then, veterans have been forced to travel to Southern California for operations and other complex procedures, denying them the support of family and friends.

Funding has been increased to support this inefficient and inadequate system. Veterans will be better served if this funding is used to accelerate the building of an outpatient clinic on 140 acres, at the Beltway and Pecos Road, from 2011- 12 to 2009. Also, domiciliaries ( veterans housing) are needed to house additional programs, such as to treat PTSD and TBI, and programs of respite care and nursing homes.

Frank Perna, Las Vegas

The writer is the veterans representative for the nonprofit group Southern Nevada Advocates for Homeless People.