FUNDING CRISIS JEOPARDIZES DETOX CENTRE

Health Ministry Looking for Alternative Sponsor

After years of struggling from a lack of funding from the Ontario
Ministry of Health, the Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre is to shut
its doors in the fall unless the ministry finds another sponsor.

Formerly known as the Ottawa Detoxification Centre, the facility is
the only one of its kind in Ottawa. It has a staff of 21 bilingual
addiction crisis workers, and has been a place to turn for Ottawa
police, paramedic workers, and families since 1974.

The centre's present sponsor, the SCO Health Service, informed the
ministry on June 27, 2003, of its decision to terminate its
sponsorship of the centre at 43 Bruyere St. because of "chronic under
funding and rising costs."

Initially, the number of beds was reduced to 20 from 26 to save money,
and the centre was forced to turn away more than a thousand people,
adding a greater burden on hospital emergency rooms.

Debbie Guenette-Lavigne, SCO Health Service's acting director of
communications, confirmed employees were handed five-month layoff
notices at the end of April as a requirement of their collective agreement.

"Because we are the sponsoring organization, we managed them (the
employees)," said Ms. Guenette-Lavigne. "Last June, we gave notice
that we were no longer interested in sponsoring the detox centre
because of the chronic underfunding that had been occurring."

While the SCO Health Service was only required to give 60 days' notice
to divest its responsibility, it has continued to operate the
facility, hoping the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care would find
another sponsoring hospital.

"We provided flexibility in the sense that we went beyond the 60 days
because we know (the centre) is really important. But then in April
when things were not progressing, it was at that point we felt we were
in a position none other than to give notice to our employees that
Oct. 1, should a sponsor not be found, that we would need to close the
doors," Ms. Guenette-Lavigne said.

Revenue from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
totalled $870,969 in 2002-2003 -- 1.2 per cent higher than a decade
ago when the funding totalled $860,490, according to a press release
issued by the SCO in July.

This year's annual operating budget is $914,000.

The Ottawa Withdrawal Management Centre is considered a "Level 1"
non-medical detox centre. Methadone and other medications are not
administered during the alcohol and/or drug withdrawal process. The
average stay is three to five days. The facility also provides
addiction counselling and services.

Insp. Terry Welsh of the Ottawa police says the facility has been
paramount in keeping intoxicated citizens from being injured in the
streets or freezing to death in the winter.

He says the loss of the 24-hour facility will have "an impact" on
those who have long histories of substance abuse and use the centre
daily to sober up and become part of society again.

"(The centre) certainly has been a buffer for us because we don't like
to put people in the cellblock when we don't have to," said Insp. Welsh.

Ottawa paramedic services spokesman J.P. Trottier says paramedics
simply cannot leave intoxicated people on the sidewalk, and the best
place for them is in the centre because of the highly trained staff
prepared to treat them.

"On one hand, here we are complaining about the line-ups in the
emergency rooms and what we can do to reduce that; and on one hand the
Ministry of Health cuts funding to this place," said Mr. Trottier.

"We can't leave (intoxicated people) in the parks or on the street. We
won't leave them. So we will have to take them to the emergency
department."

Health and Long-Term Care Ministry spokesman Dan Strasbourg said the
ministry is still looking at options for keeping the centre open.

"The ministry is investigating options relating to the transfer to
another local hospital, as well the ministry is investigating funding
options and we are continuing to monitor the situation," Mr.
Strasbourg said.

Mr. Strasbourg said the ministry believed the SCO divested itself of
the centre because "it is no longer in line with its current mission."

With less than six weeks until the possible closing date, Mr.
Strasbourg could not confirm whether the site would be closed if the
centre is not transferred to another hospital.

"We are still investigating our options relating to the transfer. That
is where our focus is right now," he said.