Dr. Gary D. Kao, at a V.A. hospital in Philadelphia, was supposed to implant radioactive seeds into a patient’s prostate, to eliminate a tumor. However, most ended up in the patient’s bladder instead. With the blessings of his higher ups, he rewrote the surgical plan to cover up the mistake.
Unfortunately for many other patients, 92 out of 116 cancer treatments over the course of 6 years were botched at this V.A. hospital. Many people knew, and had no problem keeping it quiet.
Not because hospitals are above covering up malpractice, or because doctors don’t protect other doctors, but because any private hospital would have been terrified of getting sued. The VA is very hard to sue because of sovereign immunity.
Something to keep in mind, as certain groups are aggressively pushing for government to take over healthcare in the United States.
The 3 Monkeys Guide to Health 