Beginning Dec. 7, the Hamilton Paramedic Service will provide naloxone kits and offer opioid overdose prevention education as the city continues to see increases in the number of opioid overdoses.
Training began in October to prepare all paramedics to deliver awareness and prevention education, as well as to distribute naloxone kits when responding to opioid-related calls.
Now that the training is complete, the program is set to launch.
Hamilton Paramedics Superintendent Dave Thompson tells Global News, that as of November 22nd, paramedics had responded to 816 incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses for 2021.
Thompson also says they have seen a spike in overdose-related calls during the pandemic, responding to an average of three opioid related overdoses per day.
Michael Sanderson, Chief of Hamilton Paramedic Service, says the program will further enhance the ability of paramedics to help those most at risk of overdose within the community.
The program is in collaboration with Hamilton Public Health Services and other community health-care partners.