Health officials in Chatham-Kent say there is a growing need to have closer access to care for people fighting addiction.
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is proposing an on-site withdrawal management unit at its facility in Chatham. The hospital is requesting a one-time $500,000 contribution from the municipality, which will be up for deliberation Wednesday's budget meeting.
The plan includes renovations to the hospital to create a 10-bed unit that operates 24/7 with access to outpatient services. The proposal requires approval from Ontario Health, which would provide the site's operating costs.
Councillor and Chatham-Kent Drug Awareness Council (CKDAC) Coordinator Marjorie Crew said the community has needed this for a long time.
"Anyone that needs the support of withdrawal management services has to go to Windsor, Sarnia or London," said Crew. "Hopefully they get a bed and if they do, it's a small window of opportunity for a person suffering from addictions to access that."
If a bed becomes available, Crew said that person has to be available to go right away.
"It's difficult for people to access services in other communities," said Crew. "You're plucking them out of the place they now and sending them someplace where they are not around family and other supports."
According to Alan Stevenson, the Vice-President of Mental Health & Addictions at CKHA, Chatham-Kent is the only community in southwestern Ontario that does not have a residential withdrawal management program.
“We know that we send a significant number of people out of the community to receive withdrawal management, which is working ok for those folks, but we know that the greater number of people decline those referrals because of proximity," Stevenson said during last weeks municipal budget meeting. "The need for resources locally is very evident."
Resources in the region include the Bluewater Methadone Clinic in Chatham and Wallaceburg as well as the Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic at both CKHA sites. However, Crew said some of the services are not 24/7, which is something the municipality needs.
In 2020-21, 186 Chatham-Kent residents were admitted to residential withdrawal management in Windsor and Sarnia. More than 500 patients have been seen in local emergency departments with a diagnosis of substance use disorder.
The $500,000 request will be up for consideration this week during the municipal budget meetings.
For more information regarding services in Chatham-Kent visit the CKDAC website.
