Ottawa Now - Local doctors issue one last plea to Premier Ford as supervised consumption sites brace for their demise

Ottawa Inner City Health is warning of grave consequences when the city’s final 24/7 supervised consumption site shuts down. Ahead of next week’s closure, OICH delivered a joint letter from doctors to Queen’s Park, forecasting the dire strain on Ottawa’s healthcare system and social services. The last location is situated in the ByWard Market and symbolizes a critical point of contact within the community – preventing overdoses, treating infections, and connecting people with mental health support. As they try to keep the faith, Ottawa’s doctors admit that this final plea to Premier Ford probably won’t change his mind, and that drug use will become more open throughout the Downtown alleyways and sidewalks this Summer. Kristy Cameron checks in with Dr. Rakesh Patel on today’s Ottawa Now. He is a General Internal Medicine Physician and the Medical Director of Ottawa Inner City Health.