Veterans Affairs Committee on Dec. 7th, 2023

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Thank you.

I see a huge issue in that approach. I understand that there are things that need to be kept private on the basis of where they were or whatever, but we've been working on this since I've been here, which is eight years. There have been no results whatsoever in making these files available to them as they leave. They should be accessible at all times. They are their files. If they need to be struck for sensitive issues on deployments or whatever, fine.

We have a case here of a young woman who is now a single mother and has suffered immensely. Her files were not together, and I believe it's as a result of the issues we're facing here around what women have faced in the armed forces since the beginning of being able to enlist. This needs to be changed.

Linda or Shoba, if you're working with a client, do you have the opportunity to assist them to get all of their medical files?

[Linda Rizzo Michelin]

We're both going to jump in at the same time and say, absolutely.

Please, Shoba, feel free to go ahead.

[Shoba Ranganathan]

Certainly we have to work within the processes that exist. We will absolutely help every client to access their files, but we have to work within the policies and the processes that exist.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I see a severe problem with the existing processes, then.

Colonel Rowe, could you respond to that at all? I know that you work with OSISS, and I think it's a really important program.

[Col Peter Rowe]

Unfortunately, I'm not involved in that area.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Yes, I figured that was the case.

I'm sorry, Linda. I interrupted you.

[Linda Rizzo Michelin]

It's the same. For us, we're not involved with the health record or the medical record for an individual within the Department of National Defence, but we definitely would be able to support, as Shoba mentioned, our counsellors to help them through the process to access their information.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Have you done that?

[Shoba Ranganathan]

I believe we have. Our response and support coordinators, who are our case managers, will facilitate some of these processes.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Could you give a report to this committee on how many times you have done that, how long it took to get through that process and what that process was? Is that recorded anywhere?

[Shoba Ranganathan]

I'll have to check. We limit what we include in our case notes to protect the clients. I'll have to go back to my team and see.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I'm not asking for details at all.

[Shoba Ranganathan]

I can definitely get back—

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

It's just whether you had to reach out, how you reached out, how long it took and whether the client got the information they needed on their own files. Are they able to keep those files at that point, then? Are they theirs, in their hands? Do you know?

[Shoba Ranganathan]

I believe that, once they have a copy of their files.... As Dr. Courchesne mentioned, when they are released from the military, they get access to the health records, and I believe they get a copy of their records.

Colonel Rowe, I think that's—

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

This young woman did not get a copy of her records. This is where we have a conflict between what is said is done and what happens.

I'm sorry. Go ahead.

[Col Peter Rowe]

I can only talk from personal experience that, as a serving member, I can go to the Canadian Armed Forces health services medical clinic and ask to see any specific part of my medical record, and they'll give me a copy.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Do you need to know what it is that you're asking for?

[Col Peter Rowe]

In general terms, you don't need to have the exact name of a certain form or anything. You could just ask to have your treatment notes from a certain date.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

What if you asked for all of your files?

[Col Peter Rowe]

I don't know if that office is capable of doing that and if they're resourced for that. I think that might have to go through the access to information department. I'm not sure.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I don't understand why our serving members need to go through access to information when they are their files. They should have access to them.

[Col Peter Rowe]

I could be wrong on that. I'm not sure.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I'm just saying—

[Shoba Ranganathan]

In my previous life, I worked at health services as well. We do have policies on informal requests for access to information for health records, but again, whether you get the whole of your health records.... Sometimes the health records are very big.