Petter Blindheim case the focus of veterans affairs committee

A group of Nova Scotia MLAs say they'll be keeping a close eye on new acceptance rules at Camp Hill, Halifax's long-term care facility for veterans.

At a veterans affairs committee meeting today, they pressed a representative from theNova ScotiaHealth Authority on how to avoid another debate over the acceptance of a veteran into the facility.

• Norwegian vet finally makes move to Camp Hill Memorial Hospital

Late June, Petter Blindheim, aNorwegian-Canadian war hero, was finally allowed to move into a bed after an eight-month battle with the federal government. His case led to changes in the rules to accept veterans into the facility, but the specifics to those changes are still unclear.

Acceptance at Camp Hill is granted solely by the federal government, said Lindsay Peach, vice-president of integrated health services at the health authority. Camp Hill is told when a veteran will be admitted, and the health authority has no say in determining eligibility.

Move in first, debate later

Some members of the committee, including Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg MLAAlfieMacLeod, said an eight-month delay in receiving treatment is unacceptable. Theysuggested the province should move veterans into the facility, and then let the bureaucrats figure out who will foot the bill.

"At the end of the day, this is all about the veterans," MacLeod said. "It's not about anything else. It's not about bureaucrats. It's not about government."

The committee considered a motion to ask the provincial health minister and the premier to consider that option, but in the end they decided to hold off in part because of comments from Peach.

Details needed

"I think it's important to make sure that we have an opportunitywe're two weeks into that agreement with [Veterans Affairs Canada]to have an opportunity to test out how that works in terms in providing that access to veterans," Peach said.

"My hope is that it does provide access to a category of veterans that we would have been challenged to provide that support to and that this will provide some of that solution."

The committee agreed to give the federal government time but not too much. They voted to have an update on Camp Hill admissions in three months.

"We have to give it a chance and find out how it works," MacLeod said.