WASHINGTON, USA (AP) — Seeking to head off a growing furore over veterans’ health care, President Barack Obama declared yesterday that allegations of misconduct at Veterans of America (VA) hospitals are “dishonourable” and will not be tolerated by his administration.

“I will not stand for it — not as commander in chief, but also not as an American,” Obama said following an Oval Office meeting with embattled VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

His administration is under mounting pressure from Capitol Hill to address troubling allegations of treatment delays and preventable deaths at VA hospitals. The VA Inspector General’s office said late Tuesday that 26 facilities are being investigated nationwide — up from 10 just last week — including a Phoenix hospital where 40 veterans allegedly died while waiting for treatment and staff there kept a secret list of patients waiting for appointments to hide delays in care.

Shinseki, a retired Army four-star general, is facing calls for his resignation from some lawmakers. Obama spoke warmly of Shinseki yesterday, saying the secretary had poured his heart and soul into his job, but said there would be accountability if the allegations of misconduct are proven to be true.

“We are going to fix whatever is wrong and so long as I have the privilege of serving as commander in chief, I’m going to keep on fighting to deliver the care and the benefits and the opportunities that you and your families deserve, now and for decades to come,” Obama said.

The president spoke hours before the House was scheduled to vote on a bill that would grant the VA secretary more authority to fire or demote senior executives. The White House has said it shares the goals of the House measure — to ensure accountability at the VA — but has concerns about some of the details.

Obama’s statement marked his first public comments on the matter in more than two weeks. Last week, he dispatched his deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors to the VA to oversee a review of department policies, with a preliminary report due next week and a full report scheduled to be sent to the White House in June.

The president’s remarks did little to quell the anger over the alleged misconduct.

Arizona Republican Sen John McCain, a military veteran, said Obama’s comments were “wholly insufficient in addressing the fundamental, systemic problems plaguing our veterans’ health care system.” And Paul Rieckhoff, the head of the organisation Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, called the president’s words “a tremendous disappointment.”

“Speeches and excuses will not solve this problem,” Rieckhoff said. “Only decisive leadership, bold change and strong accountability will repair decades of failure.”

Nabors, who also took part in the Oval Office meeting yesterday, was heading to Phoenix later in the day to meet with staff at the VA hospital at the centre of the allegations. His meeting will include interim director Steve Young and other hospital administrators.