REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 7

REPATRIATION

: ( CARING FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS CANADA HAS A SPECIAL DEPARTMENT Tho Canadian Government lias created a Department of Soldiers' Civil He-estab-lishment to deal with returned discharged soldiers. Sir James Lougheed, one of tho Canadian Ministers, is at tlio head of this Department. "Responsibility for the physical welfare of wounded and invalided now rests continuously and unequivocally with tho Camuliiin Army Medical Corp until the date of discharge," says tho Department in its monthly "Bulletin." "The decision as to when a finality in medical •treatment lias been reached also lies with that body. This finality has two descriptions. One—representing cure or completo liealing lo the full capacity of medical science; the other—representing a decision cither that the cuso is incurable, or that it will require prolonged treatment, as in the case of tuberculosis. In both instances immediately upon his military discharge tho man's welfare becomes a upon ( the Department of Soldiers' Civil lie- ' Establishment. "lien in tho former of the two classes just described will havo as I heir chief needs either vocational re-education, artificial limbs, orthopedic appliances, pensions, employment, or several of these. In all these matters they aro to look to the new Department. Jll tho swciid classification abovo described further hospital care and medical treatment -would be necessary, and tho new Department is fully authorised to meet this Mtuation. "Tho Department of Soldiers' Civil lieEstablishment will, for the present,'carry ou its woGrk through two branches, both of which were already in existence and fully organised when the Department was created. One of these, the Hoard of Pension Commissioners, will continue as before in every way except that it will have access to the Privy, Council through the Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-Estab-lishment instead of through the Minister of Finance. The other, formerly known as tEe Military Hospitals Commission, and now entitled the Invalided Soldiers Commission, will use its existiug organisation to carry on the duties assigned to it by the latest Order-in-Council. "Hospitals caring .-:* i livrs pn'-" In discharge will, undei P.u c.-ondil:;i;;o brought nbnut by tho -iwrgam t.y.ijn, Do conducted by tho Militia Di-parti-ieiil, Sanatoria, hospitnls for men so badly disabled that they requiro prolonged or permanent institutional care, and hospitals for tlio accommodation of discharged men who may suffer recurrence of disability will bo conducted by the I'uvalided Soldiers Commission of tho new Department. All ambiguity is thus removed as to the direction in which applications should 1» mnde in respect of matters affecting tho. welfare of ictuvncd soldiers. "Planning for tho re-establishment 'in civil lifo of every member of Canada's military forces is the gigantic task imposed upon the new Minister and his ijtaff. Tho tremendously important work of providing for tho vocational rc-educa-ticn or soldiers <i;o disabled that they cannot resuma their pre-war livil occupations will, however, ];e. tlio greatest of the immediate -undertakings' ! ,'f the Department of 1 Soldiers' Civil lie-Estab-lishment. The vocational training conducted in the hospitals for other than ! re-educational purposes will sliil be part i of tho. duty of the vocational training j staff of the Invalided Soldiers Commission. 'I here will be medical supervision by the C.A.K.C. from the standpoint of the health of the men taking classes. "Tho transfer of responsibility for ccr-1 tain branches* of work now in progress is being done with tho least possible disruption of existing machinery in order that the immediate welfare of thn 10,000 sol-, diers now on tho strength of the Military Hospitals Commission Command and of the thousand or more others receiving vocational re-education may not suffer from administrative disorganisation."