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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 6 May 2022
Thousands of smartphones purchased by VA went unused

By MICHAEL CASEY for days in storage, closely
Associated Press monitoring days in storage
The U.S. Department of Vet- for devices with each type
erans Affairs wasted nearly of data plan, and then tak-
$2 million when most of ing corrective actions when
the smartphones bought necessary,” the report said.
during the pandemic for The VA did not immediate-
homeless veterans went ly respond to a request for
unused, according to an comment. But in the report,
inspector general’s report. the VA’s undersecretary for
The report, released health concurred with the
Wednesday, found that recommendations.
the Veterans Health Ad- The agency said it plans
ministration spent nearly $7 to work with its Denver Lo-
million to purchase 10,000 gistics Center to analyze
phones with unlimited pre- inventory, tablet use and
paid calling plans but that shipments over the past
85% of the phones gath- year. It then will propose
ered dust. As a result, it lost guidelines for how long a
$1.8 million in wasted data device should be in stor-
plan costs. The inspector age, a system to monitor
general also found that that and corrective actions
$571,000 was wasted on when storage goals are not
data plans due to poor Smart phones are displayed at a shopping mall in Pittsburgh, Feb. 24, 2021. met. It also plans to con-
oversight of its purchase of Associated Press sider a new process that ei-
nearly 81,000 iPads. concluded that Veterans phones and tablets. a veteran. ther will launch data plans
The smartphones and iPads Health Administration of- It called for the VA to “es- In the case of the iPads, when devices are issued or
were purchased as part ficials, who were part of tablish a realistic goal for Connected Care officials consider other ways that
of the efforts to increase the Connected Care pro- days in storage along with purchased 80,930 with pre- data plan costs can be re-
homeless veterans’ ac- gram, made a good faith a process for closely moni- paid data plans for around duced.
cess to telehealth, a pro- effort to help veterans get toring days in storage for $63 million. The VA said the Connect-
gram that saw video visits smartphones. But they each data plan provider But these iPads remained in ed Care program was
increase from about 2,500 found there was a “lack of and taking corrective ac- storage on average for 17 also transferring excess
in February 2020 to 38,000 information for officials to tions when the goal is not days, the inspector general loaner iPhones to the Vet-
in September 2020. The be able to determine the being met.” It also called found, which ended up erans Health Administra-
veterans were enrolled in quantity needed for the for a cost-benefit analysis, costing the VA more than tion Homeless Program Of-
a Department of Housing targeted veteran popula- in coordination with con- $571,000 in wasted data fice, so that coordinators
and Urban Development tion.” tractors, to create a pro- plans. could provide an iPhone to
VA Supportive housing pro- The inspector general rec- cess that starts the data “Officials could reduce any veteran lacking stable
gram. ommended improvements plan charges only after the wasted data plan costs by housing and needing a
The inspector general in the storage of smart- device has been issued to establishing a realistic goal device.q

Military college student sues armed

forces over HIV policy

unfit for service and court. But the lawsuit de- date to the 1980s when
dropped from the Reserve scribes in some detail the little was known about the
Officers’ Training Corps circumstances around the condition, which, if left un-
and the Vermont Army Na- dismissals, including that treated, can lead to AIDS.
tional Guard despite be- the student was informed “A generation after they
ing healthy, asymptomatic he would not be able to were first developed, the
and on a treatment regi- get a scholarship or con- military’s policies are highly
men that renders his viral tract through the ROTC anachronistic and fail to
load undetectable. program due to his HIV reflect current medical re-
In this Monday, July 16, 2018 photo, a group in military fatigues The U.S. Department of status and that he was no ality,” the Lawyers for Civil
walks in front of Jackman Hall, rear, on the campus of Norwich Defense and the Vermont longer allowed to continue Rights organization argues
University in Northfield, Vt. National Guard, which are his monthly training peri- in the lawsuit. “Advances
Associated Press
among those named in the ods with the state National in medical treatment and
By PHILIP MARCELO ed positive for HIV in Octo- lawsuit, didn’t respond to Guard. Under Department prevention have trans-
Associated Press ber 2020 during his sopho- emails seeking comment of Defense regulations, formed HIV from a progres-
BOSTON (AP) — A military more year at the nation’s Thursday. Lawyers for Civil HIV is among a lengthy list sive, terminal disease to a
college student who says oldest private military col- Rights, a Boston-based of medical conditions that manageable condition.”
he was removed from his lege, Norwich University in group that filed the lawsuit automatically disqualify a A federal judge in Virginia
duties for testing positive for Northfield, Vermont. on the student’s behalf, person from enlisting, being ruled last month that ser-
HIV is suing state and fed- The student, who is identi- declined to provide copies appointed as a commis- vice members who are
eral military officials. fied in the lawsuit only as of the student’s separation sioned officer and enroll- HIV-positive cannot be dis-
The 20-year-old student “John Doe,” said in the notice and other discharge ment as an ROTC scholar- charged or barred from
from Revere, Massachu- complaint filed in federal documents, saying they’re ship cadet. becoming an officer solely
setts, says in a complaint court in Burlington, Ver- unredacted and will be The student’s lawyers argue because they’re infected
filed Thursday that he test- mont, that he was deemed submitted under seal to the the military’s HIV policies with the virus.q