Hamilton Paramedics Launch Program to Combat Rise in Opioid Overdoses – Hamilton | The Canadian News

Beginning December 7, the Hamilton Paramedic Service will provide naloxone kits and offer education on opioid overdose prevention as the city continues to see increases in the number of opioid overdoses.

The 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 ready to start.

Hamilton Paramedics Superintendent Dave Thompson told Global News that as of November 22, paramedics had responded to 816 incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses by 2021.

Thompson also says they’ve seen an increase in overdose-related calls during the pandemic, responding to an average of three opioid-related overdoses per day.

Michael Sanderson, Chief of Hamilton’s 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 conducted in collaboration with Hamilton Public Health Services and other community health care partners.

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