ADDICTS TO WAIT LONGER

Treatment Cut Back

Drug addicts and alcoholics will have to wait longer for treatment because
of provincial budget cuts, says the head of the Addictions Foundation of
Manitoba. John Borody said yesterday the foundation will be closing its
14-bed primary-care unit in September because of provincial government
cutbacks.

The unit treated people going through low-level withdrawal from alcohol and
drugs such as crack cocaine.

WAITING LIST

Borody said patients with more serious addictions will be admitted to
Health Sciences Centre, while others will be observed in another 28-bed
unit contained within the AFM's facility on Portage Avenue. The 28-bed unit
already has a waiting list of between two and three months, he said.

"We're hoping there's no client that's not going to be served," Borody
said. "That's the main goal."

Funding to the foundation dropped to $15.8 million from $16 million in
April's provincial budget. As a result, 10 jobs at the AFM are also being cut.

Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said the primary-care unit operated at
less than 50% occupancy. There will be more than enough room for the
patients that normally would go to the AFM at Health Sciences Centre, he said.

The province has also introduced more community-based programs to help
addicts, including bringing outreach workers into more rural communities,
Rondeau said.

Tory MLA Kelvin Goertzen said it was cruel of the Doer government to cut
funding to the AFM.