The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit is grateful its getting $150,000 in extra provincial funding to battle opioid abuse.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby says the CK health unit is one of many in Ontario that are getting additional money to deal with the crisis. He says the funding will go towards hiring more front-line workers to support local initiatives but other details and expectations have yet to come from the province.
"The ministry has floated the figure of four extra staff, which I'm not sure the amount that has been quoted would satisfy that. However, until we understand what the precepts are around the conditions of this money, it's very hard for us to answer," says Colby.
Colby says the extra staff will distribute naloxone to community groups and work on early warning and surveillance of opioid overdoses.
"The advantage of having dedicated staff would be to create people who spend their time thinking and acting on this problem. So, it would enable us to have a more systematic and strategic approach towards this in our community," Colby says.
Stacy Rybansky, program manager of clinic services, says the new staff would build a stronger program than what is already in place.
"Presently we have staff working with opioids and naloxone. They're doing it almost off the side of their desk and it's secondary to what their primary roles are in communicable diseases. So, we'll be able to assign staff to really focus on this initiative," says Rybansky.
Dr. Colby doesn't think there will be anymore extra money, but would like to be pleasantly surprised.
The province says terms and conditions governing the funding should arrive shortly.