Firefighters in Saskatchewan are calling on the provincial government to follow Manitoba’s lead when it comes to recognizing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Starting Jan. 1, 2016, workers in Manitoba who are diagnosed with PTSD after a job-related event will be eligible for treatment and compensation.
Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said it’s both compassionate and smart to recognize PTSD as a work-related disease. It is something Saskatchewan firefighters have been asking the government to do for more than a year.
Kirby Benning, president of the Saskatchewan Professional Fire Fighters Association, said he applauds Manitoba for making this decision.
“I think it’s an important step to help address the very terrible situation of post-traumatic stress disorder we’re seeing in our first responders,” Benning said.
The current process in Saskatchewan can be very long and cumbersome, Benning said.
“PTSD isn’t exclusively identified within WCB (Workers Compensation Board) and so there is a long process,” he said. “There’s always a process of getting a diagnosis, but there is a very long process of getting it recognized and getting it related back to the job.”
Benning said he knows someone in the province who had to go through hoops for nearly four months to get his diagnosis for the WCB claim.
“To get a diagnosis is always going to be a bit of a task,” he said. “To find out what’s wrong with a person when you’re dealing with mental injuries isn’t as easy as coming in and saying that you have a cut on your hand or you’ve got a broken bone.”
A firefighter who has PTSD is already stressed and likely off the job, Benning said, so also worrying about paying bills is the last thing they need.
“The other side of the issue too is once we get it identified … we can get that treatment sooner and we can get some preventative stuff sooner,” he said. “You may still get post-traumatic stress, but you may not even have to leave work because you get the help right away.”
PTSD is a condition that will affect roughly one in ten Canadians at some point in their lives.
Source: cbc.ca
