By Allison Chandler
Ottawa’s only detox centre has a new lease on life for at least six more months while negotiations take place about its future.
The Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre, which was scheduled to close Oct.1, has an extended deadline until March while negotiations take place with the ministry of health. Montfort Hospital is a likely sponsor of the centre.
“It’s a relief,” says Virginia Hamilton, director of the detox centre. “The parties are working very hard to reach an agreement while we stay afloat temporarily.”
However, Michel Gratton, a consultant for Montfort Hospital, said nothing has been agreed upon yet.
In the past year, the centre has issued various press releases, organized demonstrations, and sent letters to officials to raise awareness of the consequences that a closed detox centre would have on Centretown. A petition has gathered 4,728 signatures which includes people from across the country, some of which were previous patients of the centre. Hamilton says there has been a 40 per cent increase in admissions as a result of the increased publicity.
Montfort submitted a proposal Sept. 3 to the ministry to take over sponsorship of the centre from the current sponsors, the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa Health Service (SCO). SCO can no longer provide the administrative and organizational services needed by the centre.
The detox centre has had to find a new site because the current building no longer meets code regulations. The location has not yet been announced. Hamilton says they will need help with funding and moving to make the transition.
The 30-year-old detox centre is a 20-bed, bilingual facility where alcohol and drug addicts can undergo assessment, detoxification and referral to other treatment centres. The only detox centre of its kind in Ottawa, it treats 2,800 people a year. However, the centre has to turn away roughly 1,100 because it doesn’t have enough beds.
Many former residents and the community say the situation is “heartbreaking.” Without a detox centre, Hamilton says it is a matter of life and death for many because of the critical services the centre provides. The ministry of health budgets $914,046 a year for the centre. Over the past year the centre has dealt with the stress of closing down from lack of funding. Its budget has not increased in 10 years.
According to a petition for the centre, the service saves thousands of dollars by reducing hospital admissions, ambulance and police services. Supporters of the centre say the funding has been inadequate. Hamilton says if the centre is closed, the alternative for a detox patient is to spend the night in a hospital. This would cost roughly $1,100 for a 24 hour stay. A cell block would cost $110, whereas it costs the centre only $93.
Ottawa Centre Liberal MPP Richard Patten says he has been lobbying on behalf of the centre.
“I’ve been making sure the ministry knows the length of this front-line service,” Patten says. “If it wasn’t there you would have people left on the street.”