Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Further to my earlier comments, I have been meeting with Veterans Affairs psychologists and psychiatrists across the country. I'd like you to hear some of the comments from our veterans: “We're all suffering. We need help. It's not only the guys we lose overseas; it's also the guys we lose here to suicide. They might as well have died overseas. We've all contemplated it. The thoughts are relentless”. I don't see anything in the budget for PTSD.
That's from the medical doctors and the veterans. On the OTSSCs, a person may be followed by a psychiatrist and a psychologist and have one or two visits afterwards. They're discharged to no one. The JPSUs are very good, but they lack medical contacts. There's no medical transition. The vets are forced to look for family doctors, and many are not in shape to do so. There are far too few OSI centres. They have to go for assessment, and they often do not get follow-up. Veterans need regular follow-up with psychologists and psychiatrists where they are.
I'm also concerned because your department told me there has been only one study linking PTSD and dementia, but there are many. We're going to have one in five veterans coming back with PTSD, and for some it will be long-lasting. The dementia issue needs to be looked at, as well as acquired brain injury and its link with PTSD, but that's not being looked at.
The question I will ask is about Agent Orange and the Institute of Medicine. We're using 2004 information. The U.S. updates it every two years. I'm wondering if we're going to be doing the same.