The Canadian Medical Association Journal this week published an editorial criticizing Veterans Affairs Canada for its mishandling of medical records. After investigating a veteran's complaint, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) concluded earlier this month that Veterans Affairs contravened the Privacy Act in sharing his medical information among government officials. Department minister the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn has described the incident as "completely unacceptable," but the medical journal's editors wrote that "Serving and protecting the health information of the individuals who protect and defend us requires more than moral outrage." They said, "Veterans Affairs should stop treating veterans like insurance claimants and start treating them like beneficiaries who paid their country in blood."
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