[JURIST] Following up on previous Pentagon denials of abuse [JURIST report], US Army Surgeon General Lieutenant General Kevin C. Kiley, M.D. [official profile] Thursday presented a "comprehensive assessment" of actions and procedures by medical personnel at Guantanamo [JURIST news archive] and in Iraq and Afghanistan, telling reporters at a Pentagon news briefing [transcript]:

…the majority of medical personnel interviewed did not observe any abuse, and with few exceptions, those medical personnel who did observe suspected abuse reported it. The assessment team referred unreported, suspected cases of abuse to CID or to the chain of command. We found no evidence of systemic problems in detainee medical care. We also found that although initial policies for detainee medical support were inadequate, medical care received by detainees was good. Initial training was limited, and generation of detainee medical records was inconsistent.

Pressed by reporters, Kiley nonetheless acknowledged that

There were some cases where medical personnel were observed, in their care for detainees, that was not in concert [sic] with our standards for health care; specifically, the possibility of dropping a stretcher a little too roughly, or withholding pain medication until the very last second, as examples of the level of perceived abuse. On-the-spot corrections were made to those within the medical facilities and the chain of command.

Another DOD spokesperson opened the briefing by saying the military had "reinforced" and "revised" appropriate policies and procedures. AP has more.