Ontario election sparks concern of delay for temporary overdose prevention site
Hamilton awaits final provincial nod in effort to save lives downtown, says lead physician
The team behind a temporary site to help prevent drug overdoses in Hamilton says it’s ready for a Friday opening.
But it fears the slowdown in the workings of government during the provincial election could delay the life-saving service until after the June 7 vote.
“In the meantime, in the last week, there have been two more overdose deaths in the community,” Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk said Monday.
And those are the just the drug fatalities that she knows of through the Shelter Health Network, which is co-ordinating the project with a number of other local partners.
One of the overdose victims was found in a Salvation Army washroom by himself — a death that underscores the need for a safer, supervised option, Wiwcharuk said.
Wiwcharuk said she didn’t know the circumstances of the other overdose death, but suggested the two fatalities underscore the urgency of the situation.
Hamilton has been hit hard by what many describe as a national overdose crisis.
Last year, between January and October, there were 75 opioid-related deaths in Hamilton, a 52 per cent spike over the same period the year before.
The powerful painkiller, fentanyl, which is mixed with heroin and other street drugs, has made for an unpredictable and deadly landscape.
Hamilton’s public health department and local agencies have relied on needle exchanges and kits with the anti-overdose drug naloxone to soften the blow.
City hall has also backed the creation of a permanent supervised injection site in the downtown area. Initially, the idea was to have an agency operate the permanent site, but organizations have had trouble finding willing landlords.
“I’m troubled and a bit surprised,” Coun.
Jason Farr said
Monday about that reluctance.
Farr has since won support from colleagues to have staff report back on whether Hamilton hospitals could provide space for the permanent facility, where users would be permitted to use illegal drugs under the supervision of trained staff.
“In the meantime, in the last week, there have been two more overdose deaths in the community.” DR. JILL WIWCHARUK
Lead physician, Shelter Health Network
On Monday, the downtown councillor said the last time he spoke with public health officials, they hadn’t yet received a formal response from hospitals. However, that word could come in a report to city councillors by mid-June, he said.
A federal exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is needed to establish a permanent supervised injection site. The funding is provincial.
But the federal government has streamlined the approvals process for the temporary sites.
Earlier this month, the local project organizers announced the province had approved funding of up to $116, 300 for a six-month service at Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre, 71 Rebecca St.
Public health, Good Shepherd, the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Hamilton branch, Wesley Urban Ministries, Hamilton Paramedic Services, the AIDS Network and Marchese Pharmacy will provide staffing and support.
The site will operate from 8 to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 6 to 11 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and over the weekends.
Harm-reduction staff, outreach workers, nurses, doctors and those with lived experience will be part of the mix. Three staff members, and at least one medical professional, will be on site at all times.
On Monday, Wiwcharuk said the final piece of the puzzle was ready for provincial approval after staff training sessions were conducted and policy and procedures completed.
But project leaders haven’t had any communication with ministry staff since the election campaign got underway, she noted.
Staff would be able to start offering services Friday, Wiwcharuk said. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act exemption is for June 1 to Nov. 30.
“But our hands are tied,” she said, citing the election.
The ministry couldn’t be reached for comment late Monday.