New Flinders Street health clinic to offer addiction services in CBD
A new health service targeting vulnerable people, including those struggling with addiction, is set to open opposite Melbourne's Flinders Street Station at a site some had hoped would become a second safe injecting room.
A new healthcare center called the Flinders Street Community Health Hub will open near Flinders Street Station in Melbourne's CBD on October 19. The hub will provide services for vulnerable people, including those struggling with addiction. It will offer access to GPs, addiction specialists, counsellors, and facilities for showering and eating.
Additionally, the center will host a trial of hydromorphone, an alternative opioid addiction treatment to methadone, starting in 2027. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt defended the hub, stating that it will enhance the amenity of Melbourne's streets by providing support to those in need without judgment. The hub is part of the largest investment in community health services in the central city in decades, aiming to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals and address the growing issue of overdose deaths.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.