Firm proposing needle pick-up program to province to service communities like North Battleford

“We’d be hiring local people with experience,” Carlson said, adding that could include local harm-reduction workers. “It’s absolutely about solving a problem.”

Biomed would also provide training.

Carlson said as a medical waste transport and medical waste disposal service company, Biomed services the Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities and also provides services dealing with about 90 per cent of all other biohazardous waste in the province.

“We’re in a pretty unique position to be able to roll out a program to pick up needles provincially,” he said.

Biomed is asking the government to fund the program proposed but it plans to put it in place on its own.

Carlson said the program would be able to operate on a needs-be basis.

“I don’t want to have a community ask for funding or pay out of their pocket for a problem that is everywhere,” he said. “So this is the solution as far as I can see it.”

The program would also include a needle hot-line, so employees in urban centres can mobilize to collect a discarded needle when a call comes in.

If the proposal is approved, the funding would come from the Ministry of Health for the company to hire employees and provide training for this type of work.

Carlson added a number of communities such as the Town of La Ronge and the La Ronge Fire Department, the Prince Albert Fire Department and AIDS Saskatoon have provided letters of support to the company for the proposal.

“The more people I talk to, the more people seem to think it’s a good idea,” he said.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Firm proposing needle pick-up program to province to service communities like North Battleford

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