TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Florida lawmaker jumped into the fray between a veteran with several health problems and the VA following a report by 8 On Your Side.
Rep. Ross Spano (R-Fla.) says he has been assured that former Marine Helal Hatab will have an appointment set up with a doctor outside of the VA within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Mr. Hatab claims he is so frustrated with the way he has been treated, that he has placed his Hillsborough County home on the market. He hopes to use money from the sale to go back to Egypt and pay for medical treatment he says he can’t get from the VA.
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For several weeks, Mr. Hatab contends he has waited for a referral to see a specific civilian doctor in Tampa.
“They referred me to him, and for somehow they canceled the referral,” Mr. Hatab explained.
Helal Hatab was born in Egypt. He is an American citizen and joined the Marines in 1978.
Hatab must have breathing treatments every two hours following a major heart attack in 2016 damaged his airway and lung. A tube inserted into a tracheotomy helps him breathe.
“This is not a life,” he said.
After staff at the VA’s James Haley Hospital failed to repair his airway, Hatab says he requested to see the civilian doctor in Tampa. But when he asked for a referral, he didn’t care for what the doctor told him.
“He says to me my recommendation, you go back to your family and die in peace there,” Hatab recalled. “I don’t think so, he’s not God.”
The veteran says he contacted 8 On Your Side out of frustration.
I asked the VA to reach out to Mr. Hatab, but after nine days, the veteran says he’s heard nothing but crickets. So I contacted Congressman Ross Spano.
Within 24 hours, the congressman was on the telephone with Haley director Joe Battles.
“I’ve gotten his assurances that the VA will be providing a second opinion with another physician and they’re going to be working with Mr. Hatab within the next 24 to 48 hours to schedule that appointment,” Rep. Spano said.
Spano said that the VA is concerned that the doctor he wants to see is not a specialist and that they would prefer to send him to specialists at the University of Florida.
In addition to heart and breathing issues, Mr. Hatab is also legally blind and has trouble reading his medication bottles. Spano said the VA sent a professional to Mr. Hatab’s home on Wednesday to make sure he was taking the correct medications.
“It should never take a Congressman to get involved, never,” Spano added.
The lawmaker is urging veterans that are experiencing problems with the VA to contact the lawmakers in their districts for help and he assured that his office will be monitoring Mr. Hatab’s case going forward.
If you know of anything that should be investigated call our 8 On Your Side Helpline at 1-800-338-0808 or contact Steve Andrews at sandrews@wfla.com.
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