Home / Health / Overdose Response Team Faces Overnight Hour Cuts
Overdose Response Team Faces Overnight Hour Cuts
19 Feb
Summary
- Overdose response team's hours reduced, eliminating overnight service.
- Critics fear longer response times and increased pressure on health services.
- The cuts occur as the province plans to close Calgary's only supervised consumption site.
The Safeworks Connect outreach team in Calgary's Beltline neighbourhood will have its operational hours significantly reduced by Recovery Alberta, effective April 6. The team, which provides 24/7 response to overdoses, will now operate only from 7 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. daily, eliminating overnight services. This change raises alarms among health professionals and community advocates who worry about the implications for public safety.
University of Calgary nursing associate professor Jennifer Jackson expressed concern that the reduced hours will lead to slower overdose responses and increased pressure on an already strained healthcare system. These cuts come at a critical time, as the province also intends to close Calgary's only supervised consumption site located near the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. Experts highlight the ongoing issue of a highly toxic drug supply in Calgary, making such harm reduction services vital, particularly with the rise of drug inhalation, for which the current consumption site has no capacity.
