Call a Politician, not 911
By John Mohan

This past February, a report highlighted that 38 chronically homeless people used millions of dollars in emergency services between January 2006 and May 2007, including one who singularly accounted for over a quarter of a million dollars in costs. People were infuriated. Most concluded the homeless were solely the problem as they exploited the system.

Changes are needed -- not only by the users but also at a policy level.

A few weeks ago Siloam Mission staff called 911 because a homeless man was experiencing a diabetic seizure. The man who hadn't had his insulin shot for a number of days also battles mental illness, other serious health issues, and addictions. Having recently arrived from Ontario, he has frequented two local hospitals, but doctors and nurses have advised him that administering medications at the emergency wards cannot be a long-term solution. He will have to take responsibility for his own treatments. Since he can't afford insulin and syringes, he claims this is impossible.

Since he is homeless with mental illnesses, the likelihood of his securing, storing and administering his own insulin shots is remote at best. Shortly after Siloam staff made the emergency call, a fire truck with four firefighters arrived -- followed by an ambulance and two attendants. The ailing man was transported to Health Sciences Centre where he was given an insulin shot and held for observation. Let's see ... one fire truck, four firefighters, one ambulance, two paramedics, one trip to the hospital (plus fuel), emergency nurses, a doctor and medical treatment with stay. While I know the MasterCard commercial might say it's priceless, this isn't free to the taxpayers of Manitoba.

Surely there was a cheaper and healthier option than expecting a homeless mentally ill man to safely and responsibly give himself insulin shots in a back alley. Allow me to suggest a few cost-effective ways to address this and similar situations: First, we could put the 38 chronically homeless health service users on permanent Caribbean cruises. For $1,000 a week plus medications, they could have food, permanent shelter and access to onboard doctors.

That would cost us less than $2 million per year which is likely less than they currently cost the health system. On a more realistic note, if we're really fed up with using emergency shelters and hospital emergency wards as long-term solutions to manage the "homelessness problems," we must do two things. One is to change legislation so medical professionals volunteering at places like Siloam Mission's health centre can offer and administer medications for those who need help monitoring and taking medications.

Secondly, we can move forward on creating downtown supportive housing to stabilize our chronically homeless, improve their quality of life and help them transition into contributing members of society. Converting apartment buildings and downtown single room occupancy hotels into dry, drug-free housing with on-site support services and security sounds expensive, but they help create a safe, healthy community for all.

Anybody else sick of things staying the way they are? Don't call 911, call a politician.

Originally printed in The Winnipeg Sun July 30, 2008.
Reprinted with the permission of Sun Media Corporation.