Pubdate: Wed, 13 Feb 2013
Source: Manitoulin Expositor (CN ON)
Copyright: 2013 The Manitoulin Expositor.
Contact:  http://www.manitoulin.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2429
Author: Robin Burridge

METHADONE CLINIC CLOSURE SEES MANITOULIN COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE TO FILL 
PATIENT NEEDS

MANITOULIN-As the 19A Water Street (methadone) Clinic in Little 
Current prepares to close its doors this Friday, February 15, 
communities across Manitoulin are struggling to come up with 
solutions to help fill the upcoming gap.

Last week The Expositor reported that it had heard from an anonymous 
source that M'Chigeeng First Nation had decided to open a temporary 
methadone clinic to service its band members. Though The Expositor 
was unable to confirm this at the time as Chief Joe Hare was out of 
the office, the chief was available for comment on Monday.

"I'm not sure where you heard that," said Chief Hare, "but no, we are 
not opening up a clinic. We only have 15 community members on the 
methadone program. It just doesn't warrant a special clinic here in 
M'Chigeeng."

Chief Hare said that the M'Chigeeng Health Centre has been working 
with the Central Manitoulin Family Health Team (FHT) to try and 
establish a clinic at the Mindemoya Hospital.

In the meantime, M'Chigeeng will be transporting its band members who 
are on the methadone program to Dr. Dressler's Larch Street Clinic in 
Sudbury to continue their treatment. As M'Chigeeng does not allow for 
take home methadone after several problems in the community involving 
stolen or sold methadone, one incident which led to a death, Chief 
Hare said it will be crucial to establish treatment for the patients 
close to home.

The Expositor also spoke with Manitoulin Health Centre CEO Derek 
Graham, who was able to confirm that discussions are in place between 
the Central Manitoulin FHT and M'Chigeeng involving the setup of 
methadone services.

"The FHT is in preliminary discussions with the M'Chigeeng Health 
Centre," explained Mr. Graham, "but it is still within its very early 
stages. Across the Island it seems as though communities are looking 
at coming up with local approaches to fill the upcoming gaps. The 
Manitoulin Health Centre would not be housing the methadone program, 
but we could be providing a space for video conferencing (an element 
of the program for rural areas) if something was to move forward."

In Little Current, Espanola Clinic Pharmacy owner Jim Roszell 
approached the Northeast Town about opening a new methadone clinic in 
the Manitoulin Chrysler building on Highway 6.

Due to the time restraints, Mr. Roszell requested that council exempt 
the project from the planning process in order to fill the gap by the 
time the Water Street clinic closes, however Northeast Town CAO David 
Williamson explained to council that it was against the Ontario 
Municipal Act for council to exempt a project from the planning board.

The Expositor spoke with Mr. Roszell regarding his request and plans 
to open a clinic.

"Since I was told it would take at least two months to go through the 
planning process in Little Current, I looked for other spaces on the 
Island and approached many of the First Nations," Mr. Roszell told 
The Expositor, "but unfortunately there seemed to be some inner 
policies in place with the First Nations not wanting to travel to 
each other's communities. I was hoping to help and Dr. Dressler was 
willing to stay and work with the clients if I was able to find a new 
location, but I just couldn't get a space in time."

Mr. Roszell concluded that he hopes that Island communities are able 
to come up with a solution and that he would "love to work on a 
project in the future because it seems like there are ways to improve 
the methadone program and I would like to help."

The Expositor was unable to contact Wikwemikong Chief Duke Peltier or 
Mary Jo Wabano, health services director of Nahnadhweh Tchigehgaming, 
but last month, the community was also planning on transporting its 
members on the methadone program to Dr. Dressler's Larch Street Sudbury clinic.

The closure of the Water Street clinic has caught the attention of 
news outlets across the North, including MCTV. Amanda Eshkibok, a 
Wikwemikong band member on the methadone program, spoke out last week 
on the closure of the Water Street 19A Clinic during an MCTV interview.

"I am speaking on behalf of the situation with the methadone 
maintenance program," said Ms. Eshkibok. "The methadone clinic has to 
quit their service in Little Current and has been refused to relocate 
elsewhere on the Island and methadone patients are devastated and 
left with few options and one of them is to travel to Sudbury twice a 
week to see the doctor and do urine screens and get their methadone 
drink. The other option is to discontinue the program and taper off 
methadone in 30 days, which doesn't seem possible. The last option is 
to enter a different methadone treatment clinic. People are going 
through hardships and they can't handle this. It will be cheaper to 
go back on drugs than travel to Sudbury."

The Expositor spoke with Ms. Eshkibok last week regarding her 
interview and why she decided to speak out.

"Someone had to speak out," explained Ms. Eshkibok. "I believe the 
program does help people, just a few people made bad choices, but 
myself and many others are good people who are clean. The closure of 
the clinic is really going to hurt a lot of people."

Ms. Eshkibok added that for herself and other First Nation patients, 
their transportation is paid for, but for others the cost of travel 
will be too much.

"The people who have the power need to help," urged Ms. Eshkibok.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom