Almost 20 of Victoria’s leading medical bodies and unions have jointly called on Premier Daniel Andrews to swiftly establish a supervised injecting room in Melbourne’s central business district (CBD).
In an open letter co-signed by 18 organisations, including the Australian Medical Association Victoria, the Royal Australian College of GPs Victoria, and Cohealth, the groups highlighted the escalating issue of unsafe injecting practices within the City of Melbourne.
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According to the letter, over the past three years, more than 40 individuals have tragically lost their lives due to drug overdoses in the CBD.
Countless others have experienced non-fatal overdoses in city streets, and there have been more than a thousand heroin-related ambulance call-outs in the area.
“It has now been three years since you announced your policy and too many people are no longer with us,” said in the letter.
However, a spokesperson from the Victorian government mentioned that they are “taking the time to get it right” and are carefully considering former police commissioner Ken Lay‘s recommendations in his report.
“It must be dealt with sensitively and comprehensively, and we’re taking the time to get it right.”
AMA Victoria president Jill Tomlinson expressed concern over the delay, underscoring the need for collective action to prevent further fatalities.
She pointed to the positive impact of the safe injecting room in Richmond and called for a similar facility in the CBD.
The open letter does not specify a location, but medical professionals stress that the injecting room should be situated where public drug sites are prevalent for maximum effectiveness.
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