Saskatoon’s Prairie Harm Reduction temporarily closes as staff face trauma from overdose crisis

WATCH: Saskatoon’s consumption site is temporarily closing its doors. The move comes as staff grapple with an overdose crisis, performing back-to-back CPR.

Saskatoon’s safe consumption site, Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), is temporarily closing its doors.

“Our team needs to take some time to focus on themselves and the trauma they are experiencing from the overdose crisis,” Prairie Harm announced on social media on Wednesday.

The Saskatoon Fire Department responded to about 19 overdoses per day over the weekend, and 350 overdoses since March 1.

PHR executive director Kayla DeMong said staff have close relationships with the people they have to revive.

“Honestly, it’s been horrible,” DeMong told CTV News.

DeMong said staff were pushed “to the very edge” earlier this week, performing back-to-back CPR.

“They had to revive a 15-year-old who was pregnant. That was extremely difficult to watch. And then it was another overdose right after, they couldn’t even regroup,” DeMong said.

On March 12, the province triggered an emergency response to Saskatoon’s drug crisis — which included distributing more naloxone kits to city organizations.

PHR has been a resource for drug testing and determining levels of fentanyl.

“We’ve been able to get samples because of our relationship with people. We’ve been able to get samples from them to test and keep everyone up to date,” DeMong said.

DeMong said when she told the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre about PHR’s temporary closure “it caused quite a lot of worry at that level.”

“We are the testing centre for Saskatoon. We’re the only ones that can provide up-to-date, quick testing results,” DeMong told CTV News.

DeMong is concerned who will do the testing while its doors are closed.

Lori Carr, Saskatchewan Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said she wasn’t aware of PHR’s temporary closure.

“I mean they haven’t come directly to us about that, but we do know that Prairie Harm [Reduction] does provide really good outreach and peer support for those types of individuals. So hopefully they will be able to get up and running as soon as possible,” Carr said.

DeMong said PHR will reopen on March 31.

Until then, DeMong said staff are taking time to rest and access counselling.