Winnipegger battling addiction says RAAM clinic turned him away
The province saw a large increase in overdose deaths in 2020 compared to 2019, and one addiction recovery organization said the problem is only getting worse.
One option for people struggling with opioid addiction is a Rapid Access to Addictions Medication clinic, or RAAM clinic.
Those clinics offer help without an appointment or referral, but some people say they were turned away at the door.
Less than two weeks ago, Katie Robson and her partner Spyder Porth were living in a tent near the Seine River.
The two are battling addictions to fentanyl, and reached out to St. Boniface Street Links for help in getting sober.
Last Tuesday, they lined up at one of Winnipeg’s RAAM clinics to get help but when Robson went in Porth didn't follow.
"Then all of a sudden other people were coming in, not my boyfriend. So, I asked, 'Where's Spyder? Where's my boyfriend?' and they said, 'Oh, he didn't get in’," said Robson.
RAAM clinics are drop in facilities for people looking to get help with addiction to high-risk substances like fentanyl and other opioids.
Suboxone is given to the patient so they can overcome their addiction without going through the pain of withdrawal symptoms.
Robson said Porth was turned away because the clinic didn't have the resources to help everyone in line.
"I wanted to do this together as a team, and for him to be turned away like that, it was unfair," said Robson.
Porth said he felt hopeless when he couldn't get into the clinic.
He said the withdrawal symptoms from fentanyl use isn't something you can just sleep off.
"Be sick for 10 to 14 days, and be extremely sick to the point where you can't even get up to get a glass of water. You know, it's deadly," said Porth.
St. Boniface Street Links does outreach with people struggling with homelessness and addiction.
Founder Marion Willis said the RAAM clinics do good work, but it's under-resourced and understaffed.
"We need RAAM clinics that are open all day long, seven days a week. We need 24/7 point of access," said Willis.
Data from Manitoba's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows overdose deaths were up 87 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019.
Willis believes the uptick in homeless encampments around the city is directly related to the increase in opioid use.
Manitoba’s Health Minister Audrey Gordon said the province invested more than $800,000 to expand programming at the city's two RAAM clinics, but that's just one of the services available for people battling addiction.
"There are many others at the community level and at acute care facilities as well, and we will look at how to build a better and stronger network," said Gordon on Friday.
Robson said she and Porth have saved 107 lives with naloxone kits between the two of them.
"Our lives matter. We're addicts, yes, but those lives matter," said Robson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.