Defence Minister Peter MacKay defended the government’s dedication to veteran’s health Monday, one week after Canada’s military ombudsman questioned the military’s ability to handle a growing number of mental health cases.As Parliament returned last week, Canada’s military ombudsman, Pierre Daigle, released a report in which he expressed concern that the military had not hired enough psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to deal with a tide of post-traumatic stress cases that is hitting its peak. The report stood at odds with the Conservative government’s reassurances that the treatment veterans are receiving is adequate.
Daigle says the biggest challenge is the department’s “chronic inability” to meet its target of hiring 447 mental health staff – a number set before the war in Afghanistan. In some instances, the system is operating with 15 to 22 per cent fewer caregivers than needed.
In prepared remarks he delivered to the fourth annual International Conference of Ombudsman for the Armed Forces, MacKay said the government has put “renewed emphasis on the support that we provide our personnel.”
Speaking directly to the number of mental health professionals available, MacKay defended the 378 practitioners that are already in place, saying they “work hard every day and provide excellent care to our injured members.” He pointed to an extra $11.4 million the government has dedicated to hiring another 51 mental health care workers.
MacKay also defended the system as it is currently. “By putting in place a network of support centres on bases across Canada to facilitate and streamline the delivery of services to personnel and their families,” and by “taking steps to ensure that they have access to the same standard of care across the country,” the government is already taking steps to address the issue, MacKay said.
But while last week’s ombudsman’s report was new, Daigle’s concerns were not. As far back as November 2010, he told the veteran’s affairs committee of his worry that military caregivers — nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals — were also suffering from “burnout.”
In the House of Commons, opposition MPs have pressed the government on both the 2008 suicide of Cpl. Stuart Langridge and the greater question of the state of mental health aid for veterans.
“When will the government stop sticking its head in the sand when it comes to health care for our Canadian Forces?” NDP MP Djaouida Sellah asked during question period last Tuesday. “The ombudsman’s report is clear. The Canadian Forces do not have an adequate number of mental health professionals… Why has there been no increase in the number of mental health professionals within the Canadian Forces since 2010?”
MacKay replied by pointing her to the $11.4 investment, though he admitted the extra professionals would still not meet the government’s target. With that in place, he said, “We will almost reach our goal of doubling the number of mental health professionals within the employment of the Canadian Forces and made available to those in need of counselling and of support for mental health injuries.”
MacKay’s statements Monday also come in the midst of an ongoing Military Complaints Commission inquiry into Langridge’s death, which was called after Langridge’s family complained an official report into his suicide was flawed.
Earlier this month, the lead investigator on the Langridge report told the commission his report had been rewritten and censored, and that direction had come “down from higher” that there were to be two versions of the report – one written by him and a rewritten version to be handed in to the chain of command, including Langridge’s commanding officer. The final draft removed all but one reference to the victim having been on suicide watch before his death.
Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Colin Horgan
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