Horror Hospital: Shocking Photos And Testimony From The Dawood Military Hospital Scandal

That's messed up. At first when I read the maggot part I thought how maggots are used to clean out wounds in some cases. but only certain kind. that's horrible. Is it underfunded or just ignored? I didn't feel like watching or reading. one photo made me sick. i thought it was a hospital in the US at first for V.A.s because I heard a lot of them suck really bad by veterans themselves. Still this is wrong even to enemy soldiers ( though some may not agree with me. ) if you don't follow those Geneva convention or general human rights then it's done on American and Allie soldiers such as Canadians, UK, Australia and so on.

.. PS I meant they (VA Hospitals) *Suck* by their own words (VAs)

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Attention All 18 year old American Males: Join the military. They wlll take care of you. They will teach you a job skill. And if you end up injured while putting your life on the line for your country, we will make sure you receive the best treatment possible. All soldiers receive the medical care that they have earned through their bravery.

Enlist today!!!

As a veteran I take offense to this. You sir are completely ignorant. You didn't even read the damn article for crying out loud! The hospital in question is for Afghan civilians / soldiers - not our own military.

VA Medical care isn't the best, but it HAS gotten a hell-uv-alot better in the past few years. Some of the most advanced prosthetic advancements have come out of VA hospitals. Yeah, we were largely ignored during the Vietnam era, but they are doing A LOT better these days.

Your ignorance, laziness and painfully clear bias have show their true colors.

imagine how many other hospitals, all that money...it went to somebodies pocket not to afghan

Originally posted by fockewulf190
Abhorrent to say the least. Now, if we could just find the same outrage when it comes to many of our senior citizens in nursing homes within our own United States who, in simiar fashion to the patients in this military hospital, rot to death from bed sores and lay in filth and are under fed and hydrated, on a daily basis, year after year after year.

If you have the money, you get the great care. If your poor, you get neglected. Doesn't matter if it's Afghanistan, or the United States.

edit on 29-7-2012 by fockewulf190 because: (no reason given)

The situation in US nursing homes is not out of malice, but lack of resources. The nurses and other staff would like nothing more than to see that every resident is receiving the care they need and deserve, but when administrators only allow one nurse and one or two nursing assistants to be staffed for every 20-30 people, things are bound to fall through the cracks. Even in hospitals, the situation is similar. On my floor, I generally have three to four patients, but unlike many other facilities (where nurses may take a patient load of five to eight) I have no nursing assistants to provide for the more basic needs of my patients. I am able to take good care of them, but I often take a short lunch and stay at least 15 minutes late to tie up loose ends.

I suspect that some, if not many of the employees at Dawood have good intentions, but don't have the supplies and staffing to adequately care for everyone. If they are deliberately neglecting those who are unable to pay...then I am speechless.

Originally posted by zeeon

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Attention All 18 year old American Males: Join the military. They wlll take care of you. They will teach you a job skill. And if you end up injured while putting your life on the line for your country, we will make sure you receive the best treatment possible. All soldiers receive the medical care that they have earned through their bravery.

Enlist today!!!

As a veteran I take offense to this. You sir are completely ignorant. You didn't even read the damn article for crying out loud! The hospital in question is for Afghan civilians / soldiers - not our own military.

VA Medical care isn't the best, but it HAS gotten a hell-uv-alot better in the past few years. Some of the most advanced prosthetic advancements have come out of VA hospitals. Yeah, we were largely ignored during the Vietnam era, but they are doing A LOT better these days.

Your ignorance, laziness and painfully clear bias have show their true colors.

edit on 29-7-2012 by zeeon because: (no reason given)

I am sorry you are offended. I can't do much about that, other than tip toe around your delicate sensibilities.

I read the article. I honestly didn't want to confront the idea that we would provide less than human treatment to people who weren't American, while reserving what is still substandard treatment for our soldiers. The utter lack of humanity in that fact alone makes me cringe to think that we have a military that is allowed to make decisions that control peoples lives.

Your points on the VA make me cringe even more. What you are in essence saying is, "Yea, it sucks. But not as much as it used to."

I laugh at you calling me lazy, as I sit here posting occasionally while reports run in ADP as I work on my Sunday afternoon. LOL....have a good day.

My question here is this. Why is there no MS media attention being brought up about this? This stuff reeks of war crimes, yet nobody will take the fall for this that should eg: The Commanders who had knowledge of the abuses and yet continued to allow this to happen.

This stuff makes me sick, people are people. Whether you are black, white, tan, yellow, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, or atheist. People need to be treated with care and respect, especially in a hospital. If the treatment of these people, in a hospital of all places, is so terrible. What unspeakable abuses are occurring above and beyond what came from the Abu Gharib prison?

the surgical steel traction set on that foot looks expensive. I am sure that once the hardware is installed that the profit margin is quickly eaten up by surviving patients. doubly sickening. I am sure that the war-profiteers cant be bothered to view these pics. so sad

I spent most of today reading though the committee testimony and debating this on the RP forums, so I want to say this here, the general (Caldwell) had opened his own investigation (before the DoD IG one) and I don't think he had any trust in them, remember it was the DoD IG that pumped 900$ million into Afghanistan and did virtually nothing to prevent fraud theft or corruption. The DoD IG should have responded to the complaints from 2006 about this hospital and stopped funding it right then and there. They knew none of that money was reaching that hospital, they knew the corrupt Afghan government was stealing all that money, but they kept the money flowing into Afghanistan just like they kept it flowing into Iraq. Makes you wonder who in the DoD was getting the kickbacks.

So a lot of this seems to trying to pin it all on the General instead of the DoD IG placing the blame were it really belongs, on themselves. They were the ones who dropped the ball.


PS - this is the most serious thread going on ATS right now, it shpould also be the most serious topic talked about on MSM, but instead all we are getting is the Olympics. Get ye to the OP's link and look at what the state of war has brought to Afghanistan. All you war hawks, budget hawks, peaceniks - this is what the United States government has spent 1$ trillion dollars on and 10 years of war to achieve. We did nothing more than create another petty corrupt warlord regime (Karzai) and decimated a population, and turned Afghanistan and Pakistan into enemies of the USA. They won't be forgetting this - not for a long time.

OMFG....... this is horrendous.

And this:

This patient was not treated for three days, given no wound checks, and his dressings were soiled. He was not given any analgesics prior to his surgery, and remained conscious. U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan at the time described his surgery taking place in "semi-sterile conditions." This patient died 4 days later of paritonitis related sepsis without ever going back to operating room for care.

from the OP source

OMG, surgery with no pain killer, being conscious through out it too. That is barbaric! Add in the semi-sterile conditions it is no wonder the poor soul didn't make it. And patients are having to pay for this? Really???

Why on earth is Caldwell, having been totally incompetent running the hospital now in charge of another unit?? Why is he not sacked/discharged?

reply to post by oxykerfluffle

PS - this is the most serious thread going on ATS right now, it shpould also be the most serious topic talked about on MSM, but instead all we are getting is the Olympics. Get ye to the OP's link and look at what the state of war has brought to Afghanistan. All you war hawks, budget hawks, peaceniks - this is what the United States government has spent 1$ trillion dollars on and 10 years of war to achieve. We did nothing more than create another petty corrupt warlord regime (Karzai) and decimated a population, and turned Afghanistan and Pakistan into enemies of the USA. They won't be forgetting this - not for a long time.

Agreed. Where is the MSM coverage? If it weren't for the few Websites that carried this topic, we would never have heard of it.

reply to post by CthulhuMythos

Why on earth is Caldwell, having been totally incompetent running the hospital now in charge of another unit?? Why is he not sacked/discharged?

Caldwell did not run this hospital, he only sent funding to it as part of our mission in Afghanistan. He is the head of the "NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A)/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A)". This hospital is run by the Afghan government for it's own coalition soldiers. It's been getting funding from the US since at least 2005. Not defending him here, I firmly believe he should hang for this and his career is over, just want to be clear on his role there. His predecessor (technically NTM-A is a new command created for the 2009 Afghanistan surge) was Major General Richard Formica, of the CSTC-A, who provided funds and supplies to Dawood hospital. It was noted back then (2006) that corruption and theft and complete lack of care was occurring at this hospital. Nothing was ever done about it.

This didn't occur overnight. This problem was allowed to fester and grow for several years. I think it's indicative of the real lack of mission the US has in Afghanistan. So far it's been "throw money at it" and hope for the best. All we did was empower a new regime of corruption and warlords.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
reply to post by oxykerfluffle

 

PS - this is the most serious thread going on ATS right now, it shpould also be the most serious topic talked about on MSM, but instead all we are getting is the Olympics. Get ye to the OP's link and look at what the state of war has brought to Afghanistan. All you war hawks, budget hawks, peaceniks - this is what the United States government has spent 1$ trillion dollars on and 10 years of war to achieve. We did nothing more than create another petty corrupt warlord regime (Karzai) and decimated a population, and turned Afghanistan and Pakistan into enemies of the USA. They won't be forgetting this - not for a long time.

Agreed. Where is the MSM coverage? If it weren't for the few Websites that carried this topic, we would never have heard of it.

reply to post by CthulhuMythos

 

Why on earth is Caldwell, having been totally incompetent running the hospital now in charge of another unit?? Why is he not sacked/discharged?

Caldwell did not run this hospital, he only sent funding to it as part of our mission in Afghanistan. He is the head of the "NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A)/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A)". This hospital is run by the Afghan government for it's own coalition soldiers. It's been getting funding from the US since at least 2005. Not defending him here, I firmly believe he should hang for this and his career is over, just want to be clear on his role there. His predecessor (technically NTM-A is a new command created for the 2009 Afghanistan surge) was Major General Richard Formica, of the CSTC-A, who provided funds and supplies to Dawood hospital. It was noted back then (2006) that corruption and theft and complete lack of care was occurring at this hospital. Nothing was ever done about it.

This didn't occur overnight. This problem was allowed to fester and grow for several years. I think it's indicative of the real lack of mission the US has in Afghanistan. So far it's been "throw money at it" and hope for the best. All we did was empower a new regime of corruption and warlords.

I quoted the whole thing because I agree with this and the original post... This is very sad indeed.... It takes a lot for me to feel actually upset by something (as opposed to angry or disgusted or whatever) but this has saddened me a great deal.... It's horrible that people are being made to suffer in this way... Why? Surely it can't just be for the leaders to make a few quid? Totally sickening.... How can someone live with themselves knowing they're causing this? How can they look themselves in the mirror or go to bed with themselves at night?

It makes all those times that you heard Rummy say, "They hate us for our freedoms" seem very ironic.

Do they hate the freedom that we have, but will not allow them?

I believe that the majority of our troops act with valor and honor. But I also believe that a million soldiers can show valor and honor, and have it all undone by one single Abu Ghraib, or this story.

If you want to know why we are hated, just realize that this is only a peek into the wrongs that have been committed in the name of our beloved country.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by zeeon

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
Attention All 18 year old American Males: Join the military. They wlll take care of you. They will teach you a job skill. And if you end up injured while putting your life on the line for your country, we will make sure you receive the best treatment possible. All soldiers receive the medical care that they have earned through their bravery.

Enlist today!!!

As a veteran I take offense to this. You sir are completely ignorant. You didn't even read the damn article for crying out loud! The hospital in question is for Afghan civilians / soldiers - not our own military.

VA Medical care isn't the best, but it HAS gotten a hell-uv-alot better in the past few years. Some of the most advanced prosthetic advancements have come out of VA hospitals. Yeah, we were largely ignored during the Vietnam era, but they are doing A LOT better these days.

Your ignorance, laziness and painfully clear bias have show their true colors.

edit on 29-7-2012 by zeeon because: (no reason given)

I am sorry you are offended. I can't do much about that, other than tip toe around your delicate sensibilities.

I read the article. I honestly didn't want to confront the idea that we would provide less than human treatment to people who weren't American, while reserving what is still substandard treatment for our soldiers. The utter lack of humanity in that fact alone makes me cringe to think that we have a military that is allowed to make decisions that control peoples lives.

Your points on the VA make me cringe even more. What you are in essence saying is, "Yea, it sucks. But not as much as it used to."

I laugh at you calling me lazy, as I sit here posting occasionally while reports run in ADP as I work on my Sunday afternoon. LOL....have a good day.

I don't have delicate sensibilities, so no need to "dance" around them. You have probably read the article now, but the post I responded too, at least to me, clearly demonstrated a knee jerk reaction to a headline rather than an educated opinion on tragic report.

I visit VA hospitals on a regular basis. I'm a veteran, my Fathers a veteran, as most of my family are. You can be critical of a bad system all you want, but the fact is it IS getting better.

I called you lazy because it appeared to me that you didn't take the time to read the entire article before you posted - it looked very knee jerk. If I was wrong, my apologizes.

I'm not condoning the actions of these people at this Hospital in Afghanistan. Something was seriously wrong.
However to draw some kind of connection between those conditions in Afghanistan to the level of service the VA provides is either uninformed, politically motivated, or biased. I volunteer many hours at the VA Hospital in San Diego, so I know. My own Father is seen there.

Furthermore, I'm not sure what message - besides that if you enlist in the military you're evidently stupid because you won't receive any decent care at all - you are trying to convey.

BTW it sucks you are working on Sunday - but as they say Duty is Duty. I used to run ADP a few years ago at my last command.

My goodness, I haven't seen anything that awful in a long time, and I've seen alot in my time. People that are willing to give their lives for their country should be getting the best care possible, instead they're treated like animals...

Whomever allowed this to happen just didn't care one bit. No value for human life whatsoever, that's the problem.

reply to post by zeeon


My first post was basically, like I said, a damnation of the military (as a machine, not individuals in particular).

I dont like our military. I think we have a lot of very good intentioned people who are manipulated into making money for the few. And when I say "making money", i mean it comes at the expense of someone in another country that has a US soldiers boot on their throat.

Smedley Butler summed it up best.

I am active in my local VA, as well. I am a Rotarian, and am in a group with several VA employees. I stay up to date on my local VA, and know many VA employees.

I have also seen how the VA has its failures.

But the apparatus that allowed this to happen, whichever entity operates it, is criminally negligent. Since I would suspect it is a US Military operation (and not a Dept. of VA Affairs op), that would mean it is the military that is to blame. While you can find the particular cause of this failure, to me it is just another in a long list of failures that have shown that, in the most basic sense, there is a lack of appreciation for human life.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by zeeon

 

My first post was basically, like I said, a damnation of the military (as a machine, not individuals in particular).

I dont like our military. I think we have a lot of very good intentioned people who are manipulated into making money for the few. And when I say "making money", i mean it comes at the expense of someone in another country that has a US soldiers boot on their throat.

Smedley Butler summed it up best.

I am active in my local VA, as well. I am a Rotarian, and am in a group with several VA employees. I stay up to date on my local VA, and know many VA employees.

I have also seen how the VA has its failures.

But the apparatus that allowed this to happen, whichever entity operates it, is criminally negligent. Since I would suspect it is a US Military operation (and not a Dept. of VA Affairs op), that would mean it is the military that is to blame. While you can find the particular cause of this failure, to me it is just another in a long list of failures that have shown that, in the most basic sense, there is a lack of appreciation for human life.

Well you and I have found common ground after all. Your second point is the main reason I separated from the service. The military is certainly influenced by more then just political pressure. That much is certain, and many active service members can attest to that. Certainly something I disagree with in the utmost. Corporate influence on the military is at an all time high. I consider it the primary reason we invaded Iraq (instead of Afghanistan, and that is even IF you subscribe to the official record of 9/11).

I also agree with you on your last point. The people who allowed this to happen need to serve time. This wasn't some "accident". It is criminal. However with that said, I wouldn't characterize the entire military on the actions of a few. It's a big military, with lots of people and god awful amounts of work to do. I won't make excuses for this obviously inexcusable behavior - I just wouldn't hate the entire military because of it (or other cases of abuse that have happened in the recent past either...bad apples are everywhere.)

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


My God, what is this world coming to? This gross abuse of human rights is horrifying. The fact that my own country's government would allow this should be a clear sign that it is in desperate need of being...re-organized too much corruption and officials are more concerned with winning the next election than serving the people. No mercy and no justice, no quality care for wounded soldiers and veterans and the afghanis trying to help, it is appalling. Caldwell should be jailed for the rest of his life in a military prison, this is criminal abuse.

How do they explain this to the families of these "victims"?
I'd love to be a bug on the wall overhearing that conversation.

Wow.. this is demented on many levels. The people that ran & participated in the operation, knowing what was occurring, should suffer to the utmost. They should at-least be made to live out the rest of their lives in dark pits with only a crusty roll & few cups of water per day; no human interactions, nothing but their own minds to keep company.

The same goes for all the war profiteers, politicians, bankers & corporate monsters that are involved with these massive scandals. Trillions of dollars unaccounted for, millions of innocent people dead, entire nations ravaged, unlabeled GMOs & harmful additives forced upon the masses, individual liberties rejected based on the lobbying interest; yet WHO is being investigated/arrested? All these anti-humanity scum running the show don't deserve to live on planet Earth. Scum.