Dr. Patricia Daly calls for new mental health hub to fight Vancouver's fentanyl crisis
Vancouver Coastal Health's chief medical health officer to ask city council for funds
Vancouver Coastal Health's chief medical health officer will ask city council for a new mental health and addictions hub at St. Paul's Hospital.
Dr. Patricia Daly is expected to update Vancouver city council tonight on what's needed to address the ongoing fentanyl crisis where more than 300 people have died.
She says the proposed centre will be key to helping those struggling with fentanyl use.
"That hub is critically important to begin to link those suffering from addictions to appropriate care," said Daly during an interview with CBC Radio One's The Early Edition.
"We will also use that opportunity to provide those who come to St. Paul's after an overdose with take-home naloxene kits," adding that users will be trained on using the drug which helps reverse overdoses.
In explaining why she's recommending the centre be placed at St. Paul's Hospital, Daly said 70 per cent of overdose patients that are brought to the hospital, end up at the downtown location.
The new centre will require at least $1 million in funding from the city.
Her recommendation comes after a previous announcement for five additional safe injection sites in B.C.
"I know that advocates have been calling for that and we agree that we need to expand those services," she said.
If the proposals are granted, Daly says it's expected to take another year before the centres are operational.
To hear the full story listen to the audio labelled: Dr. Patricia Daly calls for new resources to fight fentanyl overdoses in Vancouver.