Addictions Care Access Improves in Cape Breton Following Community Push
Nova Scotia officials report expanded access to addictions care in Cape Breton, including reopened in-patient beds in Sydney and newly recruited specialized physicians, following a January community meeting in Inverness where about 300 people called for more overnight detox programming.
About 300 people gathered in Inverness in January to discuss drug use and call for more overnight detox programming in Cape Breton. Since that meeting, Nova Scotia officials say access to addictions care in the region has improved through several key developments.
Dr. David Martell stated that staffing issues for the Sydney withdrawal management program have been addressed by recruiting a key physician and establishing a provincial after-hours on-call support system. As part of these improvements, in-patient beds at the Sydney withdrawal management program have reopened.
The province also recruited another physician with specialized training in addiction medicine who will work out of Antigonish, N.S. This physician is expected to potentially serve several sites within Nova Scotia Health's eastern zone, enhancing service capabilities across the region.
Brian Comer, Nova Scotia's minister for addictions and mental health, noted that recovery support centres in North Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, and Sydney are seeing steady increases in patient visits. These centres operate as walk-in services during their hours, contributing to the rise in access.
Residents seeking access to addiction care can contact Nova Scotia's Mental Health and Addictions Services at 1-855-922-1122 or walk into operational sites during their hours.