HALIFAX — A decorated 94-year-old war veteran who was initially refused admission to a federally funded hospital is now being assessed for entry after a public outcry over his treatment.
But Petter Blindheim's son says the family is still anxiously awaiting word on whether Veterans Affairs will fund his father — who served on convoys for the Allies as a member of the Norwegian Royal Navy — for care at the Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial hospital in Halifax.
In initial refusal letters, the department said that because Blindheim went to England and signed up with the Norwegian navy after his homeland was occupied, he was classified as being in the "resistance service" rather than an Allied veteran.
A regulation in the Veterans Health Care Regulations says resistance groups aren't eligible for the benefits.
Peter Blendheim, whose last name is spelt differently from his father's, says he learned Monday the department has shifted its stance and is declaring Petter Blindheim to be an Allied veteran.
However, he has received a followup email saying the department must assess whether Blindheim's health care issues "have increased" and the elderly man requires "specialized care that cannot adequately be provided in a community facility."
A nurse from Veterans Affairs was assessing Blindheim at his apartment on Tuesday afternoon, said the son.
A spokeswoman for federal Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr says she cannot comment on the specifics of the case.
"For privacy reasons, we are not able to comment on a specific case, but rest assured my department works with veterans and their families to ensure they receive the services and benefits to which they are entitled," said Sarah McMaster in an email.
Alupa Clarke, the Conservative critic for Veterans Affairs, says that the department's initial argument that the Norwegian forces didn't form part of the Allies was incorrect and insulting.
"The minister should review the policies to adjust to special circumstances. This man has done venerable action ... He's 94 years old. We should be open minded to specific circumstances where we see a man in need," said Clarke in a telephone interview.
"Take care of him. Bring him in Camp Hill hospital so he can be surrounded by his mates."
Blindheim was commended by the Royal Norwegian Navy for his courage when a torpedo sank a vessel he was serving on in November 1942.
After torpedoes struck the Montbretia, Blindheim ran to the deck and removed a primer from the depth charges he oversaw to help ensure they wouldn't go off and kill sailors in the water as the ship sank.
After the war, he emigrated to Canada.
Jens Inge Egeland, a veterans advocate in Norway, said in an email that the incident has drawn attention in Norwegian media outlets. "Norwegians are very shocked by the unfair rules by the Canadian veterans affairs over who they consider Allied veterans," he said.
Egeland said a reference in the initial refusal letter to Norway having "surrendered" in 1940 is objectionable, as most Norwegians consider that the country continued to fight Hitler's forces through their exiled forces.
An official with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, which operates Veteran's Memorial with federal funding, says there are 175 beds at the hospital.
Everton McLean said 13 beds are currently unoccupied.
