Baker: Report on Soldier's Home is 'nothing short of gutwrenching'

Baker: Report on Soldier's Home is 'nothing short of gutwrenching'

"Errors were made at the Holyoke Soldier's Home before COVID-19, more errors were made in preparation for COVID-19 and still more errors were made during the Home's initial clinical response to the pandemic in March," said Gov.

Charlie Baker.

"Veterans who deserve the best from state government got exactly the opposite and there's no excuse or plausible explanation for that."

TEAM FOR THEIR EXEMPLARY WORK.THE SUBJECT MATTER AND DETAILSOF THIS REPORT ARE NOTHING SHORTOF GUT WRENCHING.IN FACT, THIS REPORT IS HARD TOREAD.SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WEREMADE BY THOSE IN CHARGE AT THESOLDIERS HOME IN HOLYOKE ARE INMARK PEARLSTEIN’S WORDS UTTERLYBAFFLING.TODAY THE LOSS-OF-LIFE ISDIFFICULT TO EVEN THINK OR SPEAKABOUT.THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE ATTHE HOLYOKE SOLDIERS’ HOME INMARCH ARE TRULY HORRIFIC ANDTRAGIC.COVID-19 AS WE ALL KNOW HASCLAIMED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDSOF PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS ANDHAS BEEN PARTICULARLYDEVASTATING FOR LONG-TERM CAREFACILITIES.WE ALL KNOW THERE IS AHEIGHTENED RISK TO OUR MOSTVULNERABLE POPULATION ANDESPECIALLY THOSE BEING CARED FORIN CONGREGANT LIVING FACILITIES.AS THIS REPORT REVEALS, ERRORSWERE MADE AT THE HOLYOKESOLDIERS’ HOME BEFORE COVID-19.MORE ERRORS WERE MADE INPREPARATION FOR COVID-19 ANDSTILL MORE ERRORS WERE MADEDURING THE HOMES INITIALCLINICAL RESPONSE TO THEPANDEMIC IN MARCH.VETERANS WHO DESERVE THE BESTFROM STATE GOVERNMENT GOTEXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.AND T