Region moving ahead with supervised consumption sites while overdose prevention sites in limbo
Waterloo region will continue with its plans for two supervised consumption sites even though the province has announced it's putting any new overdose prevention site approvals on hold.
Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care said late Friday the move to put overdose prevention site (OPS) approvals on hold is effective immediately while staff review the program.
- Ontario puts new overdose prevention sites approvals on hold
- Region adds 2 more possible locations for supervised consumption site
Karen Quigley-Hobbs, director of infectious disease, dental and sexual health for the region, told CBC K-W the province's decision doesn't directly affect the region's plan for supervised consumptions ites (SCS) and they plan to move forward.
"We have a critical situation here in Waterloo with the number of opioid overdoses continuing to increase and we need to continue to move this important work forward while we await for the direction from the province," Quigley-Hobbs said.
A report being presented to the region's community services committee on Tuesday morning, said staff have recently added two new possible locations for a SCS, bringing the total number of potential sites to five — three in Kitchener and two in Cambridge.
'Doesn't make any sense'
Sanguen Health Centre has wanted to open an OPS since the approval process started, said Violet Umanetz, manager of outreach, education and prevention at Sanguen.
Sanguen hoped to help the community transition toward the region's permanent SCS and to help keep people who use drugs safe.
But the health centre was not able to send an application into the province before OPS approvals were put on hold, largely because they hadn't found an ideal location.
Umanetz said she doesn't agree with the province's move to stop approvals. She hopes Health Minister Christine Elliott's review is done quickly and that it shows the need for these kinds of services.
"To have [OPS] cut, even temporarily, is really difficult for most service providers to wrap our heads around. It doesn't make any sense," Umanetz said.
"Bluntly put, we're going to see people continue to die from something completely preventable."