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Seventh suspected overdose in less than a week at Hamilton’s Barton Street jail

Hamilton paramedics transported a 31 year old woman from the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre to hospital on Wednesday for a suspected opioid overdose.
Hamilton paramedics transported a 31 year old woman from the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre to hospital on Wednesday for a suspected opioid overdose. Don Mitchell / Global News

Hamilton paramedics answered yet another suspected opioid overdose call from the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre on Wednesday — the seventh in as many days.

EMS Supt. Dave Thompson told Global News that crews were sent to the jail on Barton Street during the noon hour, where they treated a 31-year-old female.

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She was eventually transported to hospital in stable condition.

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This instance makes seven suspected overdoses at the facility in less than seven days.

READ MORE: 6 suspected overdoses at Hamilton’s Barton Street jail in 5 days

On Monday night, EMS responded to three reported overdoses, a man and two females.

“Hamilton [Emergency Medical Services] responded to a call regarding two female inmates in their 20s in distress,” Thompson told Global News on Tuesday. “They were transported to hospital in stable condition, and about an hour later, there was another call, but this time it was for a male inmate in his 40’s”

Last Thursday night, paramedics treated a female suspected to have overdosed on opioids, and later, evaluated a second patient in the same call at the jail.

A short time later, a third patient experiencing overdose symptoms was also treated.

All three inmates are believed to have been cellmates.

READ MORE: Ontario responds to recommendations made from Barton Street jail overdose inquest

Hamilton paramedics have responded to more than 60 emergencies to the jail so far in 2019 according to Thompson.

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In the city, paramedics have responded to more than 300 opioid-related calls, a pace which could overtake the 450 calls the service received in all of 2018.

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