Health

Opioid Crisis Not Occurring in USVI, But Health Officials Prepare Just in Case

V.I. Department of Health Officials, during testimony at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human services last week, discussed the state of care and treatment for opioid addiction in the territory.  The committee, led by Chair Senator Ray Fonseca, highlighted the urgent need to address, within the territory, the opioid crisis unfolding nationally. "The goal is to save lives," he stated, inquiring of DOH officials their thoughts on whether fentanyl testing equipment and supplies should remain illegal despite its potential to prevent overdose deaths. Department of Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion, while not addressing the question directly, said that although the territory has not been particularly seriously affected by opioids, her department has already begun working on modernizing its approach to treatment for opioid addiction. "Prevention truly is the best method," she said. "But tracking and data collection...is one of the ways in which we can actuall...