Treatment of Sub Crew Review Ordered
| 3/11/2008 | Posted by Patti under Military |
Minister of Veterans Affairs Greg Thompson has ordered a review of the treatment the crew of the ill-fated HMCS Chicoutimi has received since the fire on board the submarine in 2004. Since the incident of the 56 crew on board roughly half are either about to or have left the military due to medical reasons. Most of those are struggling to get pension entitlements.
It appears that so called experts are arguing over what could have been present to have caused a cluster of illness amongst the crew. I don’t know, 5 days in a partially burned out sub would be bound to harbour potential medical time bombs. That should be a bit of a no brainer. When our service men and women get placed in hazardous conditions the benefit of the doubt should go to them and the last thing they should have to do is battle for benefits.
It took some fifty years before the guys from the Korea War were given entitlement to benefits without question when they are diagnosed with cancer. It is a recognition that the cancer may have had its source in what they were exposed to while serving in Korea. The guys from the Chicoutimi shouldn’t have to wait fifty years, give them the benefit of the doubt now.
The sub was being brought to Canada as one of four subs purchased from the British in 1998 who had mothballed them in 1994. A fire broke out onboard on Oct 5, 2004 just off the coast of Ireland which resulted in the death of Lt Chris Saunders from smoke inhalation.
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