Nova Scotia Health Minister Leo Glavine insists progress is being made in the mental health system after a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces spoke out about her recent experience at a hospital.

Alvina Savoie says her post-traumatic stress disorder was triggered when she went to the emergency department with her daughter Sunday evening, but no one knew how to help her.

“There is a patient that came out and he had a cut-up head,” she told CTV Atlantic earlier this week. “The questions that were asked were, ‘Did you do any tours?’ I don't need to be asked if I did any tours.”

The Cole Harbour, N.S. resident left the emergency room and went home with her daughter, but says the anxiety continued.

“It's a very big wound, PTSD, and you can't see it.”

During nearly 20 years with the Royal Canadian Navy, she did a tour in the Golan Heights and was there for recovery efforts after the Swissair crash - all things she didn't want to be asked about when her daughter called 911. 

“When I left those [hospital] doors I was really sad because the one place that I know, the one place that I'm supposed to go to get help, and I didn't get any,” she said.

After speaking out about what she calls inadequate training of frontline healthcare workers when it comes to PTSD, Savoie says she has heard from many others who share her struggle.

“I have been very overwhelmed, a good overwhelming.”

Nova Scotia Health Minister Leo Glavine insists progress is being made. He says 50 frontline healthcare workers have recently received mental health training and there are plans to train more.

“No matter what context they’re working in, whether it’s an ER, whether it’s a community health clinic, they have some mental health training,” said Glavine. “There’s no question we have more work to do, but there is some progress.”

While Glavine is defending their training, official Opposition Leader Jamie Baillie says it’s insufficient to the pressing needs of the public. He is calling for an overhaul of the mental health system.

“It’s not enough,” said Baillie. “These are gaps in our system. Real people are going without the help they need.”

Savoie says more training is a positive step forward, but that it’s important to consider the specifics.

“You need to deal with people that are willing to go and speak in classes, like for nurses and doctors, somebody that is suffering, so they can actually hear it instead of in a textbook.”

She has also started the formal complaint process with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, providing all the details about what happened when she went to the hospital Sunday evening.

She says it’s important that her experience is documented so it doesn’t happen again.

“I think it’s important for them to know that I want some answers.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell