Envoys to Cuba not surprised by illness
Another diplomat out with mysterious injury likened to concussion
OTTAWA— News that another diplomat had taken ill after service in Cuba was no surprise to one group of Global Affairs employees: those who are already sick.
Diplomats hit by the mystery illness say they know of others in their ranks who are suffering similar symptoms. They say it’s just a matter of time before the numbers increase as medical tests provide confirmation of the effects. Global Affairs Canada revealed this week that medical testing showed that yet another diplomat who had served in Cuba was suffering the same health symptoms that have hit other diplomats.
That news has prompted Ottawa to review its operations in Havana with the possibility that the embassy might be further downsized or temporarily closed until officials get a better handle on what has left Canadian and U.S. diplomats suffering concussion-like brain injuries.
According to Global Affairs, the latest case brings to the total number of diplomats and dependants confirmed to have fallen ill during their time in Havana to 13.
But diplomats say that others are affected too and that their colleagues may not even be fully aware of the health problems. That only becomes apparent after “targeted testing” they say, which not all diplomats have undergone.
“Only then, (do) you realize how poorly you are functioning. These tests show things we were not aware of,” one diplomat told the Star.
The Star first revealed the frustrations of ill diplomats back in July. At the time, they said the foreign affairs department had been slow to recognize the risk confronting diplomats in Havana and indifferent to their subsequent health woes.
Checking in with a group of them again recently reveals progress and setbacks.
Their recovery has been a roller-coaster as they continue to struggle with symptoms that include dizziness, nausea, balance issues and “days-long” headaches as well as visual and auditory problems that have required therapy.
They describe their recoveries as a “fragile balance.” They say that some of those affected returned to work only to suffer a relapse and are now back on sick leave. They don’t know if they will every regain full health or be forced to live with some enduring symptoms.
“We don’t know what caused this, so how do we know the evolution of this over time?” one diplomat said.
There’s been some improve- ment in the strained relations with the foreign affairs department, but problems remain. “They’re taking it more seriously, but it is a constant struggle,” said another veteran diplomat, who, as did the others, spoke on condition of anonymity because of their condition. The department has improved in communicating, but the diplomats say they still don’t have a “seat at the table” to provide meaningful input about options for their diagnosis and treatment.
That was driven home in August when the department announced that it had reached an agreement with the Brain Repair Centre, affiliated with Dalhousie University, to assess some of the ill diplomats.
However that work is for research only, not treatment. And the diplomats say it breaks a previous commitment by the foreign affairs department to have all affected staff seen by specialists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Neurosurgery and Center for Brain Injury and Repair, the same centre where U.S. diplo- mats have been assessed.
That’s where two Canadian diplomats, unhappy with Canada’s response to the crisis, travelled in March. Those specialists found that the Canadians had suffered the very same brain injuries as the Americans who had also taken ill in Havana.
Within weeks of that diagnosis, Global Affairs announced that it was pulling families of diplomats out of Cuba. The embassy was designated an “unaccompanied post.”
The Canadians see the University of Pennsylvania as a key factor in their treatment. Medical staff there have the expertise, and, because they have also seen the U.S. diplomats, have a better handle of the problem and the best treatments, they say.
Diplomats said again that a patchwork of care that has been transferred between the Department of National Defence, Health Canada and their own medical practitioners has meant no central screening of all those who may have affected.
“People have fallen through the cracks,” one diplomat said. They are also concerned about the diagnosis and treatment of the children who are also suffering health problems. Because of the nature of the testing, the study program at Dalhousie University has not yet agreed to accept children into its program, the diplomats said.
After announcing the latest case, Global Affairs said that the cause on the injuries remains unknown. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is leading an investigation that also involves Health Canada and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Some have speculated that the diplomats may have been injured in a deliberate attack by an unknown culprit, perhaps using microwaves.
An official who briefed reporters insisted the “health, safety and security of our diplomatic personnel, our colleagues, remains our top priority.”
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the government’s response has “evolved” as more is learned about what she called an “unprecedented situation.
“While we still haven’t identified what the cause is, every case provides some additional information on the types of health impacts that our staff have been experiencing,” she said.
“One of the unusual characteristics of this situation is that individuals seem to experience it in a variety of different ways,” said the official.
“At the beginning of these incidents, there was a greater emphasis on hearing and acoustic impacts, but as more cases have been identified, our understanding of the much broader range of symptoms that it involves has improved. I would say we are continually reassessing and re-evaluating what kinds of medical support are required,” she said.
The official acknowledged that recovery varies widely among those who have been affected. “Most have been able to return to work and school. However many continue to report ongoing symptoms,” she said.
The official said that the agreement with the Brain Repair Centre at Dalhousie will “help further our understanding.”
And, she said, the researchers at Dalhousie will be in touch with experts at the University of Pennsylvania.