BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins are asking the Department of Veterans Affairs' Inspector General for an independent review of the Buffalo VA medical center.
The separate requests Tuesday follow reports that more than 700 patients may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C over the past two years through the use of multi-dose insulin pens on more than one patient. Hospital officials say that even though needles were changed with each use, the risk of contamination remained.
Schumer and Higgins say they want to know how the practice continued undetected from October 2010 to November 2012 and why it took the VA two months to notify those who may have been affected.
Those patients are being urged to get blood tests.
