The British Columbia government announced new mental health and addiction services on the same day the province’s chief coroner announced a record-high number of suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in August and September.
As part of what the government is calling a historic $500-million investment announced in the April budget, Fraser Health is getting new addictions medicine teams that will offer expertise to hospital-based patients.
A virtual health clinic is also being expanded to provide services to smaller hospitals.
Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions, also said 10 specialized addiction treatment beds for adults will open immediately at Phoenix Society in Surrey.
“These beds will be available to people from any part of the province who need help with severe substance-use dependency, including those who may have moderate mental health challenges at the same time,” Malcolmson said.
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She went on to say addiction consult teams will offer support to any hospital-based patients, ensuring they are connected to ongoing treatment services once they are discharged.
Numbers released by the BC Coroners Service Tuesday showed that 333 British Columbians died from suspected toxic drugs during the months of August and September.
The year’s overdose death toll has climbed to 1,534, a 24 per cent increase over the first nine months of 2020.
September was the 12th consecutive month in which there were at least 150 overdose deaths.
–With files from The Canadian Press
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