Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren urged a House committee Thursday to make health care from the Veterans Administration more accessible to Navajo veterans.
He says the lack of VA facilities on the vast reservation does not reflect the contributions they have made to the country.
Currently, VA hospitals in Phoenix and Albuquerque are the only full-service medical centers within driving distance of the Navajo Nation.
Rep. Eli Crane, who represents the Navajo Nation and many of Arizona’s tribes, told the committee those clinics often focus on primary care. This leaves veterans without access to resources needed to address PTSD or specialty care for chronic conditions like diabetes.
Telehealth is often not an option due to a lack of internet access for many tribal members.
Nygren called on Congress to work with his administration to bring a full-service VA medical center to the Navajo Nation.