Ex-Gallup VA doctor not being deported

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — Dr. Chander Bhatia, formerly of the Gallup PVA Community Clinic, is not being deported, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday.

Veterans met April 17 at Don Diego’s restaurant to discuss items of concern involving health care and veteran activities, including Bhatia’s removal from the clinic by VA officials.

John Hiett, who is a Vietnam veteran, said this was the first time he attended the vets meeting. He was interested in how to get started applying for certain VA benefits and people around the table offered him help.

Vietnam vet Lionel Gutierrez, of Gallup, told the group he talked to Bhatia on the phone.

“He told me last night that he’s worried,” Gutierrez said.

“They’re trying to deport him now because he’s not a citizen.

I asked him to come to the meeting this morning, but he has to go to work in Grants.”

Carolie Watkins, wife of veteran Eddy Watkins said she had heard the rumor about Bhatia’s deportment also.

“It’s terrible. They are trying to deport Dr. B so we’ll stop asking for him. That’s what it looks like.”

But a call to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, Texas, found that deportation is not being considered for Bhatia.

“We can’t find him in any removal proceedings,” ICE Public Affairs Spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said.

The current doctors there, Dr. Michael Foote and Dr. Abdur Jalalzal are contract doctors, said Vietnam vet Dave Cuellar.

“The VA told Luján that they have two local docs, which they don’t. They go where they want to. If they want some Indian artifacts, they come to Gallup for a while, if they want shrimp, they go down south. They work a while, leave and go someplace else,” Cuellar said.

“They don’t even look at your chart,” said Guiterrez. “We get the same physical exam every time we go in.”

Guiterrez suggested to the group of more than 20 people to write down and keep track of what happens when they make an appointment, see a doctor or nurse, make calls to the local VA clinic, or start having problems.

Vietnam veteran John Hiett said this was the first time he attended the vets meeting. He was interested in how to get started applying for certain VA benefits and people around the table offered him help.

Everyone welcomed Vietnam vet Bennie Yazzie, who had just been approved for his 100 percent disability and had been absent from the meetings for a while.

Cassandra Morgan, a Marine and vet liaison with UNM-Gallup offered to help any vet who needs assistance getting appointments, medications or medals on the computers at UNM.

Cuellar held up a form, a SF-180 he said is a request for military and medical records and “is good for finding somebody who was in your unit.” He added that the fire in St. Louis many years ago only destroyed military records from World War I and the first years of World War II. No Vietnam veteran documents were there.

Information: www.myhealth.va.gov, Cassandra Morgan, (505)-409-6920.