Medicine: More for the Vets

This week, Veterans Administration’s General Omar N. Bradley had an answer to critics of VA’s care for World War II vets: the “most gigantic hospital building program in world history.” General Bradley reported that 80 new, permanent hospitals with a total of 151,500 beds would be built in 39 states. (Present VA beds: 83,339 in 98 hospitals.)

In the new program, 105 hospitals will be for general medicine and surgery, 49 for neuropsychiatric cases, 29 for tuberculosis treatment. Total cost: $488 million —about twice the price of one day of war.