MANY NEED CLINIC TO STAY OPEN HERE

Action taken by 27th Judicial District Court Judge James T. Genovese
to allow a local clinic to remain open to help the people of Opelousas is
commendable. The Opelousas Narcotic Treatment Clinic is still open
for business for about 60 days thanks to the judge and local support.

Genovese did everything in his power to ease the suffering local
people who need the clinic. The clinic will still need to be licensed
in order to remain open. Hopefully, the methadone clinic will be able
to get their paperwork in order to obtain a license.

Many of the people who need the clinic are not able to travel to other
cities to receive the treatments.

The closing ONTC clinic would make circumstances very difficult for a
number of residents who depend on it for help. The program allows
people who have been troubled the opportunity to carry on a new way of
life.

The support for the clinic to remain open is growing and its remaining
open will provide a good service to the local community.

The clinic operators were given the opportunity to reorganize
themselves as a medication facility under its parent methadone clinic
in Lake Charles. They will be able to provide limited services for at
least another month or so.

The clinic recently lost its license through litigation filed by a
competitor in the 19th Judicial Court and in the Third Court of
Appeal. Its writ was denied by the Louisiana Supreme Court. It was
then ordered to close on Aug. 31 by the Louisiana Department of Health
and Hospitals. But Genovese was able to extend their time to offer
services to help resident in the meantime. The patients and owners
should were put first indeed.