Robert M. Smith of the VA Medical Center in La Jolla said that the patient numbers seen each year at that clinic have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years; currently, he estimates that the center sees 75,000 patients in a year. The huge number has caused some veterans to wait weeks, sometimes even months, for their appointment, according to Fox 5 San Diego. Smith said:
“What is disheartening about the stories, as they have been presented, is that it creates the impression that the VA doesn’t care, or that it’s trying to hide the magnitude of the problem.
“I don’t know anybody in this building that isn’t committed to providing veterans care.”
The new Sorrento Valley clinic is estimated to have a capacity of 7,200 when it comes to people requiring primary care, according to Smith, which will help reduce the numbers heading into San Diego, meaning that veterans in both locations can get faster medical treatment.