Veterans Affairs assisted dying discussion a ‘serious wake-up call,’ advocates tell MPs
Global News
Witnesses at a parliamentary committee highlighted the length of time veterans have to wait for benefits compared to medical assistance in dying.
The case of a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employee discussing medical assistance in dying (MAiD) with a veteran should serve as “a serious wake-up call” to the gaps former military members face in accessing proper care, advocates told a parliamentary committee Monday.
The House of Commons standing committee on veterans affairs heard directly from veterans and their supporters who said the discussion, which was first reported by Global News in the summer, was a troubling sign that veterans suffering from treatable mental health issues aren’t getting the necessary supports from a department tasked to care for them.
“My fear is that we are offering a vehicle for people to end their lives when there are treatment options available, but those treatment options are more difficult to access than medically assisted death,” said Oliver Thorne, executive director of the Veterans Transition Network.
“We know that they can get better.”
Thorne decried the average length of time veterans are forced to wait for a disability benefit — nearly 10 months, according to an auditor general’s report released last spring — and the minimum 90-day assessment period before MAiD can be provided.
“We cannot have a system that offers veterans medically assisted death faster than it offers them access to evidence-informed care that they rightly deserve because of their service to Canada,” he said.
Global News first reported on Aug. 16 that a VAC employee had discussed medically-assisted dying with a veteran, a case that has brought renewed scrutiny of the department and the ongoing struggle for veterans seeking support.
Sources told Global News a VAC service agent brought up medical assistance in dying, or MAiD, unprompted in a conversation with the combat veteran, who was discussing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury.
