US President Joe Biden on Thursday advocated breaking the stigma over mental illness in the military, as he celebrated the anniversary of the expansion of veterans' health care under the Pact Act.
“You're taught to be tough, stand alone, to do what you need to do [in the military],” Mr Biden said.
“It's also hard when you're having problems and you think you have a mental health problem to ask for help. It's really hard.
“But there's no difference between having a mental health problem and breaking your arm or your leg.”
Mr Biden noted that 17 US veterans die by suicide every day.
“Even one veteran dying of suicide, particularly because he couldn't get help immediately, is one too many.”
As part of the emphasis on veterans' mental health care, he outlined the importance of combating the homelessness rate, emphasised the need for job training for the transition to civilian life and celebrated his recent executive order on how the military addresses sexual crimes.
Mr Biden addressed the veteran healthcare crisis during an anniversary celebration of the piece of legislation that significantly expanded care access for former and current US soldiers.
The Sgt First Class Heath Robinson Honouring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or “Pact Act”, passed Congress last year after facing some Republican opposition in the Senate.
It was named after veteran Heath Robinson, who died of a rare cancer two years ago after exposure to toxic burn pits on deployment in Iraq.
Mr Biden celebrated progress under the law, which expands Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare eligibility to post-9/11 combat veterans.
That coverage expansion includes more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans, and adds 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to the department's list of service presumptions.
“Veterans are getting the care they deserve,” Mr Biden said at the event, hosted in the western state of Utah.
“We have a moral obligation … and I'm here today to spread the word so every veteran or surviving family member knows how to access the benefits of this law.”
Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs, praised the success of the law and the expanded VA healthcare he says it has allowed.
“We've now screened more than four million veterans across the country for toxic exposure,” Dr Elnahal told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last month.
“It's a standard questionnaire happening in every primary care clinic, increasingly more types of clinics mental health and speciality care.”
In a memo published on Thursday, the VA reported it had approved 91 per cent of a little more than 360,000 Pact Act-related claims.
“Thanks to President Biden, millions of veterans who fought for our country are now getting health care and compensation for the conditions that followed them home from war,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement.
“We’re proud that so many veterans and survivors have already benefited from the Pact Act, but this is just the beginning: we won’t rest until every veteran and every survivor gets the VA health care and benefits they deserve.”
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Rating: 4/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
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