Health authority, EMS, respond to spike in overdoses

Health workers deal with spike in overdoses Watch: The Health Authority and Paramedics are dealing with a spike in overdoses in Regina. Cally Stephanow explains.

REGINA — According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Regina EMS has responded to 62 suspected drug overdoses since Feb. 7.

This is a substantial increase for paramedics who usually respond to seven overdoses per week.

“I’ve been a practicing paramedic for 21 years and obviously from when I started, especially here, 16 years ago to now it was very rare years ago to even see one or two a year and now we're seeing it more drastically and daily,” Joe Trotter, Deputy Superintendent for Regina EMS said.

Emergency rooms in Regina have seen a corresponding increase to the amount of drug overdoses in the community.

Typically, patients brought into the hospital suffering from an overdose have already had a Narcan treatment.

"Yeah fortunately we do have a lot of Narcan out in the community with the police with the fire department with EMS and with a number of the public so that’s very helpful,” Glen Perchie with the Saskatchewan Health Authority said. “But sometimes Narcan doesn’t last as long as the opioid so we do need to monitor them until we know the opioid has worn off."

The Regina General Hospital says with the increase of drugs in the community, it has had to increase the amount of security at the hospital because sometimes drug users in care become violent towards staff members.