Mobile harm reduction clinic coming to Greater Moncton area
The Salvus Clinic is getting ready to launch a mobile health clinic to serve those dealing with homelessness, substance use issues and other health problems in the Greater Moncton area.
Salvus clinical team lead France Maillet-Gagnon explained at a press conference on Wednesday that people could access various services like screening for sexually-transmitted infections, overdose prevention and mental health counselling at the mobile clinic. It takes place in a van set up like a mobile doctor’s office, with various harm reduction supplies like syringes and pipes for distribution.Maillet-Gagnon said mobility is more important than ever for those who seek treatment at the Salvus Clinic.
“We’re also seeing a trend that they’re now more on the outskirts of the city just because they’re trying to hide, trying to find a place to rest,” Maillet-Gagnon said. “So we’ll have to partner with some of our other agencies to just see where people are located because they often also change location.
“We’re hoping that in the next couple of weeks we can at least go to the shelters and so we’ll start with those visits until we get all the staff hired. We don’t want anyone to go alone either, they have to be paired,” Maillet-Gagnon said.