Saving lives with the National Overdose Response Service
WHY HE WON With a motto of “innovation for equity,” Dr. Monty Ghosh, 40, an internist based in Calgary, works to address healthcare inequalities affecting vulnerable populations, including those living in poverty and with substance addiction. One initiative, the National Overdose Response Service, stemmed from an idea presented by one of his patients who used drugs, after which he partnered with Grenfell Ministries, which had already begun operating on this idea.
This service, designed to save lives in the face of overdose, initially faced challenges in gaining support and funding. Dr. Ghosh’s efforts to secure backing for this project led to a $2 million grant from Health Canada, resulting in the nationwide launch of the service. This initiative has saved many lives by effectively reversing overdoses.
What one judge said…
“Dr. Monty Ghosh is an innovator in the marginalized space and, in so doing, gives voice to the vulnerable in society.”
Dr. Ghosh’s impact extends beyond the direct implementation of programs; he is also an educator and researcher, mentoring students and trainees in community-based participatory research. His work transcends geographic boundaries as he collaborates with stakeholders nationwide, bridging the gap between various agencies and organizations to promote harm reduction and addiction medicine.
- Q&A
Was there a patient who brought you to realize the idea behind the overdose service?
The National Overdose Response Service is a collective. It’s carried out mainly by people with lived experience. It was really spearheaded by a group called Grenfell Ministries in Ontario. I owe them a lot of credit for what they’ve done to spearhead the service.
But the way that I first became aware of the need for the service was through a patient of mine. I was working in Grande Prairie, virtually from Calgary back in 2016, and I asked a patient if they were using alone and if they had a Naloxone kit because you don’t want them to use alone, of course. They said that they “kinda” used alone and “kinda” didn’t.
I asked them, “Well, what is that about?”
They said they were FaceTiming their friend in Edmonton and they were using together. I thought it was very intriguing. I asked, “Well, what happens if one of you has a drug poisoning event? What if one of you overdoses?” And they said they would—because they have each other’s addresses—be able to call the EMS services and therefore provide support to each other. I thought that was such a brilliant idea. . . . It was really them who came up with the idea.
What is a challenge that you face now and how are you overcoming it?
One of the biggest challenges that I’m finding in my work is incorporating people with lived experience into different facets of the work. There’s this sense that people who use substances, people who have addiction or mental health concerns don’t necessarily need to be part of the healthcare system, if you may. But what I’ve learned over and over again is that they are such an integral part of our healthcare system. Because they’ve walked the walk, they can talk the talk with various other patients who may not want to engage with healthcare services otherwise.
What was your motivation to do this work?
I’d always wanted to be doing global health but to do this work you often have to go overseas, of course. I’d had to move back to Calgary after some time away for family and personal reasons, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do that global public health work in this urban setting. But a mentor of mine, Dr. Martin Labrie, said: “Why are you trying to go overseas to provide services for equity-deserving populations when there are so many individuals who deserve equity right here in our own city?”
He opened up my eyes to the work that can be done at a local level around health inequity and how to provide support for those who are experiencing homelessness, and mental health concerns (in terms of) exploring different barriers to care, especially because of race, religion and background. So I owe it to him for putting me down this path and exposing me to this world.
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