Pubdate: Sat, 09 Sep 2000
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  +61 8 94823830
Website: http://thewest.com.au/redirect.shtml
Author: Wendy Pryer
Bookmark: additional articles on heroin are available at 
http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm and articles on Australasia are available 
at http://www.mapinc.org/aussie.htm

HEROIN CLINIC GRINDS TO HALT

DRUG firms have stopped supplying Dr George O'Neil's heroin detoxification 
clinic and it will not open to treat addicts on Wednesday unless money 
appears before then.

The manager of the Subiaco clinic, Karen Dunmore, said yesterday the drug 
companies that supplied the clinic with naltrexone and narcan had not been 
paid for three weeks and this week had stopped supply because of an 
outstanding $60,000 bill.

Premier Richard Court announced more than six weeks ago that Dr O'Neil 
would get up to $500,000 from a new $1 million trust fund to be 
established. But the trust fund has not been set up. The money is still at 
least two weeks away.

Mrs Dunmore said that since Mr Court's announcement, donations to the 
clinic had dried up.

She said she hoped there would be enough narcan and naltrexone to treat the 
expected 30 patients at today's clinic but it was unlikely there would be 
any left for Wednesday, the next detoxification treatment day.

Mrs Dunmore said a $10,000 donation kept the clinic operating on its two 
treatment days last week, where up to 60 patients were rapidly detoxified 
from heroin, but only $700 was received this week.

Health Minister John Day's office told The West Australian last week it 
expected the money to be available this week. But a chairman for the trust 
fund was appointed only yesterday.

Mr Day's spokesman said yesterday an announcement would probably be made 
next week about the board of trustees and then the board would have to meet 
and call for submissions before it could hand over money.

The spokesman said he expected Dr O'Neil would get $500,000 soon after his 
submission was received. He pointed out that Dr O'Neil was away on an 
overseas study tour and warned that any money his clinic received from the 
trust fund could not be used to pay drug bills but could pay staff.

Mrs Dunmore said staff were working under ridiculous pressure and drug 
companies could not be blamed for the crisis.

Greens MLC Christine Sharp, a supporter of the clinic, said she was 
appalled that the bureaucracy and incompetence of the Government could 
force the clinic's temporary closure.
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MAP posted-by: Thunder