Congress approves legislation that seeks to transform veteran’s health services in the island

Washington, D. C. - Last night the federal House of Representatives approved the legislation promoted by Resident Commissioner Jennifer González Colón, that seeks to begin an evaluation by the Department of Veterans Affairs to the health services offered to veterans in all territories of the United States to address deficiencies.

The section 209 the S. 3479 reflects the joint work of the Resident Commissioner along with the delegate of the Northern Mariana Islands, Kilili Sablan, both members of the Veterans Committee of the Federal House of Representatives.

S. 3479, Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2018, authorizes the extension of certain programs of the Federal Veterans Department prior to the end of the current fiscal year and section 209 authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Veterans to Assess the facilities that the Department of Veterans maintains in the territories.

This evaluation should include the department's ability and facilities to provide medical, hospital, mental health, geriatric and extended care services.

The section also requires that the Department evaluate the possibility of opening new facilities in the territories that currently don't have one or that the ones they have are not appropriate.

González Colón explained that in view of this legislation that now goes to the signature of the President of the United States, a process would begin to identify point by point the needs, challenges and alternatives to improve the services that veterans receive in the territories.

The Commissioner has claimed better health services for all the veterans on the island getting the attention of the Congress and even managed to celebrate for the first in Puerto Rico a public view of the Veterans Committee. Precisely, it was the health subcommittee that held the view, met with different veteran's organizations and visited the facilities of the Veterans Hospital and the temporary clinic in Arecibo.

Hurricane Maria destroyed the veteran's clinics located in Arecibo and Vieques which limited services to this population. The Commissioner managed to allocate the funds for the reconstruction and to install temporary clinics; precisely, tomorrow Thursday, is inaugurated one of these temporary clinics in Vieques.