LACK OF TREATMENT CENTRE 'ABSURD'

The lack of a drug treatment centre in Medicine Hat has been called
unbelievable by the local health board, and they plan on telling the
provincial government exactly that.

"This is becoming absurd," said Palliser Health Region (PHR) Chair
Carol Secondiak, adding that the region's population growth has meant
an increase in addictions. "They're going to be taking up more of our
hospital inpatient beds in an area they shouldn't be."

Along with PHR's president Tom Seaman, Secondiak will meet with Health
Minister Dave Hancock and new AADAC chair Harvey Cenaiko to emphasize
the need for a treatment facility in PHR.

"We're the only region in the entire province that does not have
treatment detox beds," she said.

The plan had been for PHR to partner with AADAC for a treatment
facility within an expanded Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. But with
hospital expansion still not funded, that's not an option.

"Our part of the bargain was going to be the facility and they (AADAC)
were going to staff it," Secondiak said.

She resents having to put detox patients wherever they can go in the
hospital. Secondiak explains that they try to place drug patients in
the psychiatric ward, but it's often full and it isn't an option in
Brooks.

"I feel bad for those who are coming down from a bad trip or
something, I feel equally bad for the woman who's having a baby and
has someone having some kind of a hallucinogenic something or other in
the next room," Secondiak said. "And that has happened, I've had
reports of that, I've had complaints of that and my answer is I'm so
sorry what can I do."

The hospital does have some security to prevent patients from
wandering into the wrong room, but it has occurred, because security
personnel is limited.

Combined with AADAC's staff, there are resources for drug treatment,
they just need somewhere to go.

Secondiak points out that there are several provincial buildings in
the region that could be used as a potential treatment centre.

"We do not have the facility, give me some kind of facility is what
I'm looking for."