Somerset health centre approved to open supervised injection site

Another supervised injection site will open in Ottawa, this time at the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC) in Chinatown.

Health Canada granted the health centre's exemption application and funding for the program was provided by the province, the centre announced Monday.

Naini Cloutier, executive director of SWCHC, said the new site will serve people living in a currently underserved community.

"The idea of the supervised injection service at Somerset West is to locate it in an area that people live," she said. "Research has shown that individuals will not go when locations are far away."

'It couldn't happen fast enough'

Somerset ward sees the second-highest number of drug overdoses in the city, according to Ottawa Public Health, and Cloutiersaid that number is increasing.

"We were seeing increasing overdoses in our community," she said. "We conducted a survey and over 75 per cent of people said they would use the services if they were provided here."

Mika Convoy says she has been accessing services at Somerset West for about 30 years.

"I think it's really important for people to understand that it's a medical issue," Convoy said. "People that use drugs are human beings and they require services."

"Our feeling is it couldn't happen fast enough," said Stan Kupferschmidt, a harm-reduction outreach worker at SWCHC. "It's something that we're all struggling [with] as a community together, but we really need to step up."

In the last two weeks, Kupferschmidtsaid,there have been four fatal overdoses in the area.

Convoy said those overdose deathscould have been prevented at a supervised site.

"If they had overdosed here, they would have had a medical team right there to assist them and they could have beenbrought back or in the hospital," Convoy said. "They could have been saved."

Waiting for funding

In order to open, the centre must wait for provincial funds to renovate their existing building at 55 Eccles St., near Booth and Somerset streets.

There is no estimated opening date so far.

The SWCHC supervised injection site will join one operated by the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. There is also a temporary site open on Clarence Street and a supervised injection trailer at the Shepherds of Good Hope homeless shelter.

"I think you'll see change, hopefully with people choosing to come and use in a safe injection place," Convoy said."It's not easy but it's better than being alone."