Health committee  You have to actually get them to the bed and hold them in that position. The issue is that these patients are very volatile. You can't anticipate a change in their behaviour. For example, a clerk went in to stock a room with a patient on meth who was being very co-operative. The

Health committee  Yes, absolutely. We're just prepping for that as well, because we are going from six emergency departments in the city down to three.

Health committee  I think there's overwhelming evidence that addictions and mental health absolutely dovetail. There's a lot of research, and they absolutely dovetail. You're right. When Sarah talks about pain, a lot of addictions and a lot of drug use have to do with emotional and psychological p

Health committee  If the patient is out of control or displaying violent behaviour, they can be restrained. I've just come from the front lines. I worked in emergency departments. I did hear that at the Health Sciences Centre, it took 15 people to restrain a female patient who was on meth—15 peo

Health committee  Yes.

Health committee  I don't believe so. The Concordia Hospital's emergency department will be closed in June. They'll have an attached walk-in clinic. I do not believe that the three emergency departments in Winnipeg are going to be adequately staffed and will able to handle all the emergencies. W

Health committee  Yes, for the time being.

Health committee  Yes. They're still one of the busiest. It's still very busy there.

Health committee  I don't remember saying that, but I'll speak to that. I do know that many of our treatment beds have a 21- or 28-day program, with huge relapse. For alcohol use, drug use or gambling there is huge relapse. The programs are not long enough to actually get the patient to the point

Health committee  I've been thinking a lot about that. One of the criticisms is that so many people go to the emergency department or Health Sciences Centre with issues that are not true emergencies. There is probably merit in that. Those clients are better served being seen at perhaps a quick car

Health committee  I think it's accurate to say, but unfortunately there's no other access point for these patients who are wrestling with this drug. We have no other options.

Health committee  I believe there should be. I think the RAAM clinics are a really good start. They've been started with our government, but at this point, they're not able to look after someone in a meth-induced psychosis. Those clients have to go to an emergency department to receive treatment.

Health committee  We're definitely seeing it in our emergency departments now. It's sort of changed the game, because Winnipeg no longer has a catchment area for ambulances, so if there's a client in the core area who's two blocks away from the Health Sciences Centre and an ambulance is called, th

Health committee  I don't have statistics for you but I do know that having a needle exchange program or providing safe injection sites, absolutely, there will be a cost, but it will be an efficiency and will save dollars in the end. When you have someone who's using meth, who's injecting and need

Health committee  I speak to nurses. Those are the individuals I get information from, and I can tell them they are wrong. This is a crisis that is getting bigger every day. I have nurses who don't even want to go to work anymore. I actually had a nurse say to me, “I know every day when I go to wo