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ARMY EXAMINES POSSIBILITY OF PRIVATE MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR -- Whom do you turn to when the
enormous number of military contract employees
in Iraq creates problems for the U.S. Army as
it
tries to fight there? Another contractor, of
course.
For more about defense and VA contractors, use the VA Watchdog search
engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/ses
search.php?q=contractor&op=and
Story here...
http://www.washingtonpost
.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09
/02/AR2007090201157.html?
hpid=sec-nation
Story below:
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Army Examines Possibility of Private Medical
Contractor
By Walter Pincus
Whom do you turn to when the enormous number of military contract
employees in Iraq creates problems for the U.S. Army as it tries to
fight there?
Another contractor, of course.
Military medical treatment facilities in Iraq have been overwhelmed
trying to handle routine health-care problems for some of the more than
129,000 people working for U.S. and coalition force contractors. As a
result, the U.S. Army is trying to determine whether a private medical
contractor is willing to take over the job.
Last week, Joint Contracting Command-Iraq provided details on its July
27 Request for Information (RFI W91GDW-07-R-4024), titled "Civilian
Contractor Hospital Services throughout Iraq." It asks whether private
health-care providers might be interested in establishing "medical
treatment facilities at Forward Operating Bases throughout Iraq that
would provide medical treatment to contractors working with the
coalition forces."
The purpose of any contract was bluntly stated: "This concept would free
up military hospitals to concentrate on military casualties."
The military's problem is obvious. As explained in additional
information supplied Aug. 28, most contractors don't provide health care
for their employees, and care is not authorized at military facilities
except when a life is at stake.
"Nonetheless," the Army said, "military treatment facilities have been
rendering routine health care to civilians, with civilian care making up
approximately 17% of the outpatient healthcare visits."
Many U.S. noncombat activities in Iraq are performed by contractors. In
supplying background information, the Army recognized that "the exact
number of contractors who need and desire routine health care services
is unknown." For guidance, however, it disclosed that there were
"approximately" 750 routine civilian health-care visits per month at
military treatment facilities on three U.S. bases in Iraq.
Camp Anaconda, a large Army logistics and operating base, chalked up
another 300 civilian visits per month, and there were 400 in the Green
Zone at the Embassy clinic and combat support hospital.
The Army believes that health-care facilities, "including radiological,
laboratory and pharmacy ancillary services" would "benefit the
contractor population," which is nearly as large as the total number of
U.S. troops in Iraq. According to one estimate, more than half are
Iraqis, some 20 percent are American citizens and about 30 percent are
from another country.
Prospective providers would "need to make their own arrangements to
establish health care facilities on a forward operating base," including
staffing and equipping the clinic, according to the Army. It also warns
that "the provision of life support will also be the responsibility of
the company establishing the health care facility."
According to recent reports, there are dozens of U.S. bases in Iraq and
about 90 forward operating bases. "Whoever bids on this will have to
team up with a security partner," said one veteran of the Iraq war who
is now in the contracting business.
Recognizing the daunting nature of the task, the Army proposal makes
clear that currently the Pentagon is looking only for "feedback from
interested, responsible parties for the purpose of investigating the
feasibility" of such a program.
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
