Blair under fire over treatment of British troops

Prime Minister Tony Blair became a target of anger on Sunday over claims that British troops who have been wounded or suffered mental trauma in Iraq and Afghanistan have received poor medical care.
In response to the claims, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) defended both the level of care at the sole military-managed hospital ward in Britain and its decision to close military hospitals in previous years. Letters from soldiers' families published in The Observer newspaper alleged that soldiers treated in state-run National Hospital Service (NHS) hospitals suffered from inadequate care and poor conditions.
And a teenage soldier wounded in Iraq allegedly suffered terrible neglect at the Selly Oak Hospital in the central English city of Birmingham, the only hospital with a military-run ward in Britain, the Observer reported.
The complaints emerged after similar ones were publicised in the United States in the last few weeks over flawed care for US troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In an open letter published in The Independent on Sunday, families of soldiers killed on duty as well as leading public figures accused Blair of breaking the covenant between soldier and government.
"We shall call on you to reconsider your approach toward our military personnel, to restore the vital covenant, and to deliver to our men and women the just and proper treatment they deserve," their letter said.
The signatories alleged that Blair had failed to ensure adequate medical and psychiatric care for troops returning home as well as to properly care for the families who have lost loved ones in action.
They referred to previously publicised complaints that British troops received inadequate military equipment during operations overseas and suffer from multiple deployments in an over-stretched military. With military hospitals in Britain closed, the letter added, "wounded soldiers evacuated from the battlefield suddenly find themselves on civilian wards and at risk of physical or verbal attack from members of the public."