By Associated Press
St. Louis, MO – Two independent panels will investigate sterilization problems at John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis which put nearly 2,000 veterans at risk for HIV and hepatitis.
Democratic U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan said Thursday that the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has agreed to include the St. Louis situation as part of a broader investigation into VA medical center problems around the country.
Meanwhile, Carnahan said the inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs will also investigate.
The VA announced in June that 1,812 veterans may face a slight risk of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C because of inadequate sterilization in the dental clinic at the St. Louis facility.