Kiddies next to needle exchange

Andrew Mathieson
GEELONG Hospital will open a free needle exchange for drug addicts within metres of a children’s play area, according to a Barwon Health volunteer.
Angelo Kakouros said the exchange in the hospital’s emergency department would be a safety threat to the children, patients and staff.
Mr Kakouros, a founding member of Barwon Health Foundation, said hospital insiders had leaked the proposal to him.
“I’ve been made aware that Geelong Hospital will be a 24-hour needle exchange facility,” he said.
“That means anyone who wishes to exchange a needle will be able to go straight through the front doors.”
Mr Kakouros slammed the proposal, saying Geelong should have a separate facility to keep needles off the streets.
Drug users holding needles would be “only a couple of metres” from children waiting for their parents in emergency, he said.
“They’ll be right next to each other,” Mr Kakouros said.
“The door of the play area is not even locked.
“If there’s an incident, it will be too late because the staff aren’t going to be able to stop it and they shouldn’t be put in that risk anyway.”
Mr Kakouros said needles were “live ammunition” in the wrong hands.
“They (drug addicts) will be walking into the hospital where everyone else walks in with a lethal weapon and anything could happen,” he said.
“A lot of these unfortunate people who are on drugs could be high at the time. They could provide a high risk to people visiting the hospital.”
Mr Kakouros, who runs a security company, said drug addicts seeking needles should instead use a new separate entrance to the hospital for prisoners from Barwon Prison.
A Barwon Health spokesperson said the exchange would be “no risk” to children or other people using the emergency department.
The spokesperson pointed out that the exchange would also service diabetics.
“The used needles will be deposited in a secure container outside the ED,” the spokesperson said.
“Common practice is (that) a locked container of new syringes in the ED is opened by a staff member and the person signs the quantity taken.”
The spokesperson said 25 other Victorian hospitals were also “working towards a needle and syringe program”.