Thank you for the question. I'd like to raise a few points. Firstly, I participated in discussions on the OSI clinics and on services offered 24 hours a day. However, it is very important to understand that health care is under provincial jurisdiction throughout the country. It is clear that the Government of Canada offers an additional, superior level of care, especially with regard to mental health. That is the purpose of our OSI clinics. I would remind you that we hire provincial staff so that they can offer services in our clinics.
Notwithstanding the second point you raised in your question, it is critical that an individual in crisis present themselves to a hospital, to an emergency service, and that they see a health care professional to obtain immediate care. Even service points offering 24-hour-a-day service—and this is an aspect that we are trying to get our colleagues to understand—are not emergency service points unless a province decides otherwise. The provinces, under their mandate, have the powers and capacities necessary to do so, but in my opinion, an individual in crisis should go to the emergency room.
Our chief psychologist, Dr. Heder, and our chief physician, Dr. Courchesne, both hold this opinion. They believe that emergency rooms and hospitals are the places where our veterans can receive adequate care. Nonetheless, we understand—and this relates to the second point in your question—that, for some individuals, especially if they are in crisis, going to the emergency room is not necessarily appropriate. That's why we are working with doctors and clinicians' associations throughout the country in order to educate them about the unique needs of our veterans. The first aid received by a veteran in crisis is administered by health care professionals. However, going to the emergency room to get into a hospital is not always easy. That's why we have a service that veterans can call 24/7. We also have other mechanisms to help them.
That said, if the province of Nova Scotia wants to, we are ready to work with the province and discuss possible ways forward, but health care is a provincial responsibility.