A recent increase in the amount of overdoses related to synthetic marijuana known as spice is taxing Bloomington's hospital resources.
At a press conference yesterday, Mayor Hamilton announced there were about 40 overdose calls or responses last month. Vice President of IU Health South Central Region Teri deMatas says, based on current rates, the city will likely see more overdoses this month.
She says when there is such a dramatic uptick in overdoses, it can be difficult on staff, and emergency service resources are re-directed to those experiencing overdoses.
"It causes us to put a lot resources into those individuals to stabilize them, and that in turn then causes the other people in the emergency room to have to wait longer if their care is not something that is life threatening," she says.
DeMatas says if the overdoses continue to increase, the hospital could consider adding staffing or ramping up support systems.