NGWRC Issues Press Release on UTSWMED Gulf War Research Contract Failure

National Gulf War Resource Center 

Responds to UTSWMED Contract Cancellation on Gulf War Illness Research 

NGWRC in reviewing both sides of the Contracting Failure for the UTSWMED/VA Collaborative Center on Gulf War Illness views the situation as a potential loss most of all to the ill Gulf War Veterans.
 
Jim Bunker, President of the NGWRC, states that the VA has left the door open for Dr Hailey to complete his work on the diagnosing of gulf war veterans neurological damage.  This is critical work that must be done in an expedited manner and reports must be submitted to the VA.  Journal articles must be written and submitted to peer reviewed journals so that these scientific findings and recommendations to neurologists can have the true impact on diagnosing of ill gulf war veterans.

Dr Hailey’s research with cutting edge technology in the diagnosis of specific Neurological Damage in ill gulf war veterans needs to be completed so that the guidelines in Diagnostic standards can be presented to the VA System as a Best Neurological Guidelines in Practice for Gulf War Veterans Ill with Gulf War Illness. 

Jim Bunker, President of NGWRC, states that "this is the urgent landmark work that would result in the appropriate diagnosis and care of ill Gulf War Veterans  that we as gulf war veterans have needed for 19 years." 

The NGWRC encourages both sides of the contract issue  UTSWMED and VA "to not forget that the gulf war veterans need them both to get the first step of neurological brain damage diagnosis right and implemented in order for the care and treatment of gulf war veterans to move forward."

The NGWRC recommends to the VA that the money for research be redirected quickly to addressing treatment research for the neurotoxin damage that the gulf war veterans have experienced as a priority and not to Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia.  "Without treating the neurotoxin damage the veterans will continue to have marked deterioration in mental function that is having the most significant impact on their continuing ability to function in life."

"For the Gulf War Veterans after 19 years of waiting, the cause of the damage is less important than the improvement in diagnosis and treatment to help improve the quality of our lives."
 
"When this work is completed and the VA is able to facilitate rapid implementation of the new diagnostic methods then truly we will have made significant improvements in our goals to get the best diagnosing of the specifics of brain injury that was sustained by exposures to hazardous neurotoxin agents in the Gulf War in 1990-91."
 
Denise Nichols, the VP of the NGWRC and Gulf War Veteran nurse, states that "with the resulting improvements in neurological testing the attitude and knowledge of VA physicians struggling to care for ill gulf war veterans would take a dynamic leap to improving care for the ill gulf war veterans.  This would serve as the biomarker for neurological damage.  Thus a critical step would have been reached."
 
Both agree that would help the development of effective appropriate treatments  "That would be the biggest motivation factor to igniting medical researchers in the search for new treatment models."
 
You in effect would have proven that physiologic neurologic damage did occur as the gulf war veterans have been battling to prove for 19 years.  The symptoms have been there for 19 years but the cutting edge diagnostic tools that were needed were not available. 

Veterans want only studies into improving their health, we feel there has been to many on CFS, FM and ALS and the money needs to go in other places.  President Bunker asks, “Why spend money on something that a veteran gets service connected for by  just being in the war. We need treatment so we can live a better life.”

James A. Bunker

 President

National Gulf War Resource Center, Inc.

2611 SW 17th St

Topeka, KS 66604

Cell 785-221-0612

Toll free 866-531-7183

www.ngwrc.org