NDDN Committee Report

ENGAGING GOVERNMENT

As has been mentioned, concerns over the care and treatment provided to injured Canadian Forces personnel or their families have been aired in a variety of fora in the past two years. In almost all instances, recommendations have been directed at the Canadian Forces or Department of National Defence, both of which readily acknowledge and accept their lead role in providing treatment and care for military personnel and their families. We note, however, that, in exercising their health care responsibilities, both the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence will require the assistance and support of other government departments.

For example, the second recommendation in Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman’s report on mental health services at CFB Petawawa calls upon the Canadian Forces to:

...establish and properly resource an organization—at the national level—responsible for working with external agencies and all levels of government, as required, to ensure that military families and individual members of the families of military personnel have access to the broad spectrum of services and care they need.[59]

The Committee knows of no Canadian Forces organizations with such a broad mandate and, to our way of thinking, it is inappropriate to direct the Canadian Forces to lead inter-governmental activity. Such a responsibility is political, not military. Recalling that care and treatment of civilian military family members is the legal responsibility of provincial health care plans, the Committee suggests that recommendations such as this require participation beyond the Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence, to engage the Government as a whole.

FEDERAL/PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL/MUNICIPAL COOPERATION

The Committee heard numerous witnesses say how impressed they were with the cooperative arrangements made between the Canadian Forces and provincial and some municipal health institutions in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta and Valcartier and Quebec City, Quebec. Conversely, the apparent absence of equivalent cooperation in Petawawa, Ontario and Oromocto or Fredericton, New Brunswick was also frequently noted.

We know however, that the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC) was established in July 2005 and has provided care for thousands of patients, including those from military families.[60] It is partnered with the CFB Petawawa MFRC and the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Program. Mental health services for military families are provided by the Pembroke Phoenix Centre.

At CFB Gagetown, the Base Medical Clinic (BMC) has six in-patient beds and a well-equipped emergency department, including X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy, physiotherapy and mental health services.[61] Civilian medical facilities in the local area include the Oromocto Public Hospital, the Dr Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton and the Saint John Regional Hospital.

The Committee is also aware of the substantial partnership established between the CFHS and the Montfort Hospital in Ottawa.

RECOMMENDATION 35

The federal government should initiate cooperative programmes with provincial and territorial governments, to offer incentives to qualified professional health care workers, to provide their services to Canadian Forces personnel and their families, in locations where there is a shortage of such services.

RECOMMENDATION 36

 The federal government should continue to work in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments to enhance relationships between local community health and social services to enhance and Canadian Forces health care services.