Veterans of Gulf War, Balkans plead for health aid

Veterans who served in the Gulf War and the Balkans say the government isn't doing enough to help them with ailments they believe are due to chemicals they were exposed to during their tours of duty.

The illnesses, which include chronicfatigue, joint pain, hair loss, digestive problems and an array of other health issues, are collectively known as Gulf War Syndrome and Balkans Syndrome. The veterans say their illnesses were caused by toxic chemicals, burning oil wells. Others say they were affected by depleted uranium usedin the war zones.

They say Veterans Affairs Canada isn't taking their illnesses seriously, recommending they see doctors other than the ones treating them, and paying only for generic drugs rather than what their doctors prescribe.

They also want Veterans Affairs to acknowledge Gulf War Illness, which they say the U.S. government recognizes.

Their request comes as Pascal Lacoste, veteran of Canada's mission in Bosnia, ends his hunger strike. Lacoste was protesting outside Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney's office in an attempt to get Blaney's department to recognize his uranium poisoning.

Louise Richard was a nurse at a Canadian field hospital during the Gulf War in 1991, where sheworked in surgery. Now she says she and othersface a slow progression of debilitating chronic illnesses.

"I basically have every classic diagnosis, every symptom, every illness going with it. I lost my hair in 1993. Its never grown back," she said Wednesday.

"Gulf War vets were exposed to a unique wide variety of environmental hazards and harmful neurotoxic and biological warfare agents, as have the Balkans and now Afghanistan,"Richard said.

About 4,500 Canadian Forces members servedin the Gulf,she says. Canada sent ships, CF-18 jets andthe field hospital.

No evidence: WHO

The Veterans Affairs Department has maintained it's unlikely any Canadian troops were contaminated with depleted uranium because few, if any, ever came in contact with it while in the service.

Depleted uranium, a leftover of uranium processing, has been used to make some types of munitions and military armour.

The dense, low-cost metal was used in conflicts such as the Balkans and the first Gulf War, where Canadian troops were on the ground.

Major international bodies, like the United Nations and the World Health Organization, have published reports saying there is no scientific evidence to link depleted uranium to health problems.

According to Veterans Affairs, tests performed a decade ago on around 200 returning soldiers did not find any toxic levels.

It is only believed to be harmful if dust from spent ammunition or damaged armour is ingested or inhaled.